Mononoke no mori, a photo from Kagoshima, Kyushu

Photographer's Note

This is a place on Yakushima known as "Mononoke no mori". It`s named after some forest scenes in a Hiyao Miyazaki movie called "Mononoke no hime" or "Princess Mononoke". Yakushima is the wettest place in Japan and home to the oldest living things in the northern hemisphere next to my father's jokes. The giant Yaku-Sugi (Japanese cedars) are thousands of years old and are an impressive site.

cobbydale, jmcl has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Keitht (1342) 2006-11-10 6:40

I appreciate the problems you must have experiences in getting anything here judging from the exposure information, but the image is very dark - particularly on the right hand side.
The overall composition is very effective despite that. There is something of a colour cast, again not really surprising given the condition. I have posted a workshop with some minor changes.

[workshop] [compare]

cobbydale (1958) 2006-11-10 7:28

Very atmospheric shot Philip. Really conveys the feel of a damp, ancinet forest. TFS. Leon.

BHo (2177) 2006-11-10 9:51

Very eerie place but at the same time magical. I love the green moss dominating the landscape and I can see why it was used for backgrounds in Princess Mononoke. Good animation as well.

hksenator (0) 2006-11-11 9:28

Nice lighting in these conditions not easy to manage, beautiful atmosphere. I like this wet green.

Cheers
vhs

ps: nice that I'm not alone with my good old film camera :-)

martburn (533) 2006-11-15 8:52

Hello Philip,
This is absolutely beautiful, the greens, the greens, they cool the soul in this picture.

Martin

simonlitton (54) 2006-11-17 4:00

I actually like the darkness, which helps give it the otherwordly atmosphere that attracts people to it in the first lace.

Polonaise (5802) 2006-11-17 21:24

The WS version definitively better, if only from technical point of view. The colors are CORRECT!
They're real!. Natural. Juicy. Succulent. Pulsating.
Good photo. Great photo (I'm talking about the WS' one). So good it screams its lungs out....
Make me BIGGER !!!!!!!!!
I want to be a big boy. I'm beautiful. I deserve to be bigger. Bigger is better !!! I want to be the whole 800 pixels !
And, like every time on this subject - it will stays the same.
Dreamer me (:-))))))
Have a most wonderful weekend, pal
g.

jmcl (14535) 2006-11-22 10:08

Stunning yet peaceful image .. I dream of having greens this magical ..
I love the low POV and how it gradually moves to bright as we go back.

John

marknunnerley (2780) 2006-12-02 10:02

Great shot here Philip, really like the atmosphere created by the shadow area with the rich mossy greens.
br,
Mark

jean11-3 (2799) 2006-12-06 11:17

Hi Philip, looking at your gallery and came upon this shot,it reminds me of some of the woodland that I have visited in Devon.I like the atmosphere it evokes with the shadows and the shades of green.Interesting POV and composition,best wishes Jean

excited (143) 2007-01-23 23:47 [Comment]

Show Comment

yuo (1184) 2007-01-24 1:55

Hello Philip,
beautiful deep green.
i reminded of Mononoke-hime! :)

regards.
Yuo

P.S.
i found a little mistake on your note.
Hiyao Miyazaki -> Hayao Miyazaki
Mononoke no hime -> Mononoke hime

jonathan_hart (21276) 2007-03-22 12:10

i saw princess mononoke, that's it, same athmosphere, fantastic & mystic place, well done ;)
regards
jo

Bruno40 (6662) 2007-04-06 7:48

I like this one, and I like it better than the WS. Beautiful dark green colors. The place is calling me!
I'll go there next time in Japan.
TFS
Jorge

stellar_girl (302) 2008-01-10 16:41

I like the shades of green you've captured here, also the contrast and POV is great. Atmospheric picture. BTW I'm listening to Japanese music at the moment, Dir En Grey - ain't afraid to die. I highly recommend it ^^.
Cheers!

Kate

ein22 (478) 2008-02-12 19:03

Oh my wow. I did not get this far in your gallery. IMPRESSIVE.

The feel is just like that of Hiyao Miyazaki. I have the soundtrack to the movie and I am picturing it now playing along with this photograph. Yakushima is definatley one of those have to visit places on this earth. in one word I describe it as "natural", well as natural as an ecosystem can be in these moderns times.

I like this photo very much, it's making me feel very nostalgic considering I have never visited there. . . one day though!

Thanks for sharing that
Andrew

globalvillager (112) 2010-01-15 19:06

I always want to go to this fascinating destination. You are so lucky. What are the challenges in taking pictures in such a dense forest?