A morning at the temple with Le Terreur Photo

Photographer’s Note

This photo of visitors arriving at Eastern Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera Temple was taken towards the end of an early-morning photo shoot for which I had met with Jean-Yves (PixelTerror) at 6:20 AM one Friday. Around 8:30, when this photo was taken and we left, the first tour buses started to release their crowds into this very popular site.

Kiyomizu-dera refers to several Buddhist temples, but most commonly to Otowasan Kiyomizudera (音羽山清水寺) in Eastern Kyoto, one of the city's defining sights. The temple dates back to 798, but the present buildings were constructed in 1633. The temple takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills - kiyoi mizu (清い水) literally means "pure water". The main hall of Kiyomizu-dera is notable for its vast veranda, supported by hundreds of pillars, which juts out over the hillside and offers impressive views of the city. Beneath the main hall is the waterfall Otowa-no-taki, where three channels of water drop into a pond. Visitors to the temple collect the water, which is believed to have therapeutic qualities, from the waterfall in metal cups. It is said that drinking the water of the three streams confers health, longevity, and success in studies.

Note includes information from wikipedia.org

** In the workshop, you can see Jean-Yves shooting his C'mon mate, have a drink photo. **

Nikon D200
2006/04/07 08:25:39.1
JPEG (8-bit) Normal
Color
Lens: 18-70mm F/3.5-4.5 G
Focal Length: 18mm
Exposure Mode: Programmed Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/250 sec - F/8
Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Optimize Image: Custom
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-S
Flash Sync Mode: Not Attached
Color Mode: Mode I (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: Auto
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Enhanced
Sharpening: Medium high
Image Comment: (c)2006 Norbert Woehnl
Long Exposure NR: Off
High ISO NR: Off

jrj, siolaw, Cricri, jhm, ChrisJ, elihesamian, MarekP, Xalkida, singuanti, kclai, bibiweb, plimrn, wilkinsonsg, weswang, aznegrao has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

dkeus31 (24548) 2006-05-09 6:10

Hello Norbert,
I recognize it, I thing JY took this also!
But you show here a wider wiew, nicely framed except maybe the leaves on the left border.
Regards,
Didier

siolaw (24920) 2006-05-09 6:17

Hello Norbert,
Real fine colors and excellent sharpness on that monument... even the people dont disturb the image... Special!
laurent

andante (7092) 2006-05-09 6:31

Beautiful perspective, Norbert. Love how you have used the charry tree to frame the upper part of the image. Well done!

jhm (76918) 2006-05-09 7:03

Hi Norbert,
I like your WS with us friend Jean Yves in action, two good colleague together, lovely orient structure buildings, certainly the temple in background with his three roofs.
Very well done, nice series about Japan.
Have a nice day,
John.

ChrisJ (65367) 2006-05-09 7:24

Hi Norbert

Good sharpness, color, & pov. I like the bright red pagoda walls & grey roofs, contrasting against the blue sky. Well done!

zig (2450) 2006-05-09 9:10

Hi Norbert. I found the shrine red and sakura and blue sky are soo fitting in to one another. Very beautiful and sends me in some nice air, I mean, clear the clourds around my head. hehe. Very classical view, well framed by the sakura branches, nice as a post card. Well done!

Cricri (38422) 2006-05-09 11:49

Bonjour Norbert,
L'Architecture, les couleurs, détails de ses temples sont d'une rare beauté, jolie tradition "de l'eau", trés belle image, sympa le WS de notre ami Jean-Yves, félicitations
amitiés
cricri

Cormac (26423) 2006-05-09 11:58

This is a very pleasing shot - I like the angle you used, which mixes the vertical lines of the building with the horizontal and adds a nice diagonal with the roof line. The people walking by is a good touch, giving the photo some life. Well done!

erdna (5205) 2006-05-09 12:27

A very nice spring time shot of the Kiyomizudera Temple. I was here in 1979! There was no digital camera yet and all my photos from film cameras have paled. Japan has one of the best wooden structures in the world.
TFS.

Andre'

Ann75 (0) 2006-05-09 13:41

Hello Norbert,

Wow, amazing shot with these beautiful buildings! The colours are amazing, great pov and great sharpness. I love the extra touch of te few blossoms on the top of the photo, great inclusion. Beautiful composition and great framing!

Greetings,
Ann

carper (60991) 2006-05-09 14:04

very plessant shot Norbert,
a fantastic point of view, the contrast with the colours, the sky and the temple are great, the shot is well taken, very good job.
gr. jaap

elihesamian (26033) 2006-05-09 15:26

Ahhh!
Thanks for posting the shot in WS,glad to see more close to Jean Yves at work,
the shot,here,is a pure Japanese scene,and the way you composed the blossoms in top with a few branches is a great work here that I love,
all things all nice,great note as always,fantastic colors and result with contrast,indeed well composed,Thanks,Norbert,

Best Wishes
M

hdl (6723) 2006-05-09 15:30

Hi Norbert. Yes, the morning is often the best part of the day when visiting touristic spots. Otherwise it's so difficult to get such a clear shot of what you want. Anyway these few don't bother the picture (it's not like there are 200 passing by;-)). It is really a very beautiful temple and I really like those few blossoms you took in the picture; I find it more than a detail.

MarekP (4744) 2006-05-09 17:00

Hi Norbert,
This is a fine shot. It looks very Japanese :-) Great colours and clarity. I like the blooming branches framing it from the top. All the people seem to go very purposefully to some unknown destination -- it's also very Japanese I think. Well done.

Thanks,
Marek

Xalkida (11720) 2006-05-09 18:15

Hi Norb

Very nice and well balanced shot of this temple. Excellent framing. Very nice and vivid colors, good lighting. Marvelous work.

singuanti (15261) 2006-05-09 22:11

Hi Norbert. I think it ought to be a crime to get up that early to take pictures, lol! :) You sure framed this one to perfection. You didn't chop any essential elements off either. Awesome shot Norbert!!

bibiweb (27530) 2006-05-10 2:15

Hi Norbert,
I think you've really managed a typical japanese shot here, with the sakura framing the red temple and three storey tower in the background. I see you and Jean-Yves were real early birds during your holidays but it was worth it because of this beautiful morning light on the temple.
I think you've chosen a perfect title for this shot and also enjoyed looking at both WS posted here.
Have a nice day.
Bibi

plimrn (18682) 2006-05-10 2:51

Hi Norbert,
As your critiques note, you've framed the temple perfectly between the cherry blossoms and the people. It is a beautiful temple and the color and detail is excellent. Then you add the joke in the title and the workshop with a useful link to Jean-Yves photo.
Thank you for great presentation, I enjoyed it all.
Regards, Pat

jinju (14259) 2006-05-10 3:50

The detail of the sakura (I learned a new Japanese word thanks to you guys) framng the temple at the top is what makes this photo for me. Generally I like the photo for its beautiful colors and nice subject.

If you really wanted to get radiocal, focus on the sakura, shoot at the widest aperature posible and blur the hell out of the background;)

PixelTerror (81500) 2006-05-10 4:02

Hi Norbert,
LOL guess you couldn't have found a better catchy title !
Nice PoV of course here, I have similar photos of this beautiful building and pagoda, fun detail of the people going to the temple the way they would be going to the office and the top framing cherry flowers are always a delight, only thing to mention is I find the reds lack a bit of saturation on my screen, I have more powerful colors in mind.
That's a fairly comprehensive post of yours that would not be totally complete without the making of ;-))
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

[workshop] [compare] +

kclai (2263) 2006-05-10 4:12

Hi Norbert
A good coverage of the temple. No excluding of any part of it. Perfect shot!
And by adding these tourist put in the additional points.
Well framed, too, with this little white flower hanging from the corner of the pisture.
Cool work, Norbert.
Eric Lai

jrj (34527) 2006-05-10 10:54

Hi norbert
Very clear, crisp and well disposed presentation of this temple. With the notes for sure the best TE spirits. Nice place - fine inclusion of the branch at the top.

Georges (11183) 2006-05-10 12:02

des details de toutes beautés ici avec une qualitée irreprochable.
Le cadrage est tres bon ainsi que le naturel de la photo.
Bravo Norbert

wilkinsonsg (8640) 2006-05-10 12:49

Beasutiful POV and colours :)

toni_al (14904) 2006-05-10 13:50

Salut Norbert
Très sympa cette vue avec ces passants qui dynamisent l'image. Joli travail
Content avec le D200 ???
@+ Toni

weswang (18223) 2006-05-10 19:28

Hi Norbert, I remember this place. The blossom cherry is very well used to frame the cheerful sunny day in this picture. Nice to show the temple goers in high spirit in this picture. You have selected PoV to show the well balanced stylish architecture in this picture.

fertxu (323) 2006-05-11 9:33

Hello Norbert
Wonderfull shot with these beautiful buildings
Regards,Fernando

aznegrao (10214) 2006-05-11 18:20

Que composição linda desse pais interessante ao extremo. Perfect Norbert.
Friend.
Rgds.
aznegrao.

Photo Information

Copyright: Norbert Woehnl (nwoehnl) (61227)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-04-07
Categories: Daily Life, Architecture
Camera: Nikon D200, Nikkor 18-70mm, Sandisk Extreme 2GB, Hoya HMC Super 67 mm UV(0)
Exposure: f/8, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Map: view
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Travelogue: Lost in Translation
Date Submitted: 2006-05-09 6:07