Critiques

Abel (104) 2009-06-22 6:24

Beautiful photos. I love the clouds. I've been all over Japan, but not to Nagano. I wish I had made the time now.

Thanks for posting your photo.

Abel (104) 2009-04-01 7:12

That's a beautiful photo. I love the golden coloured wall and the reflection. I was in Hoi An last year. It's a wonderful place. Great photo!

Abel (104) 2009-02-27 7:34

I was just there last month and it's a beautiful temple. I like the angle you chose. I wish I had taken one like that. It's really beautiful. Great job!

Abel (104) 2009-02-27 7:31

Wow, you really take some beautiful photos of birds. I like how you framed this one and the bird's posture. Great work.

Abel (104) 2009-01-02 5:08

I love a good Mt. Fuji photo and this one is excellent. I really like your framing and the power of the mountain towering over the house. The snow blowing off the top of Mt. Fuji also adds a lot to the photo. Great photo.

Abel (104) 2008-12-31 0:24

Hi Shael,
That's a really pretty photo you took. I like the mirrored reflection and the way you positioned the tree branches above. Thanks for sharing.

abel

Abel (104) 2008-08-01 6:14

I really love Toriis. Your photo reminds me of the tranquility of Japanese shrines and temples. If possible I'd edit out the powerlines in photoshop (or a similar program).

Paul

Abel (104) 2008-08-01 6:11

I'm going to visit Japan again next week and your photo has me excited for the summer festival season. I really enjoy the Japanese festivals and hope to get a photo as nice as yours.

  Abel (104) 2004-09-26 17:30

That's the Gate to Heian Shrine in Kyoto.

If your interested in it here's a brief write up:

The transfer of the national capital from Kyoto to Tokyo haunted the city's residents, who feared the Old Capital would become little more than a museum. As Japan industrialized in the late 19th century after contact with the West, Kyoto began to transform herself into a new city embracing modernization in a conscious effort to mature beyond tradition. It was with renewed optimism that the city approached its 1100th anniversary in 1896. To honor the city's founder, Emperor Kammu, a shrine was built in the eastern foothills of the city. The Heian Shrine, as it became known, celebrates the culture and architecture of the city's Heian-era past.

The Heian Shrine is a 2/3 scale recreation of the Heian Hall of State, built on the site of the original. The imperfect knowledge of 19th century Japanese historians limited the accuracy of their undertaking, but the buildings are roughly correct in proportion if not in detail. The designers subverted the solemnity of the "shrine" by turning the pond portion into public park. Today's Heian shrine bears little resemblance to its model, but like the city herself, the adaptation of the past to the modern age has proven immensely successful.