Lux Japan: City #4 Kyoto

SHOT 1

Through a professor of one of my favorite classes in college (also a recent colleague from teaching at Carleton) I was connected to another Carleton professor stationed in Kyoto for the fall semester. Because he had plans to be in Tokyo during our visit to Japan he asked if we would like to come to Kyoto while he was away and use his apartment. It happened to be the time of year EVERYONE (no really) visits Kyoto to see koyo the changing of the foliage. Hotels would be scarce so it was an serendipitous offer. Serious generosity! He also asked one of his students if she might be willing to help us for a small fee navigate the city and do a few shoots.

Alexis, a very nice Oberlin student met us in one of the more confusing train stations I’ve ever experienced and guided us to our new lodgings. After settling into the apartment we decided to head to Kiyomezu, the most beautiful temple I have ever visited. Unfortunately all those other tourists I mentioned above also decided that evening to visit Kiyomezu but upon arrival it was not surprising to see why. The temple is a series of buildings set along and down a hillside full of yellow, orange and red maples all lit from below and all of which overlook the city. A completely stunning scene ideal for contemplation if it weren’t for so many sharpened elbows.

I have to say as gorgeous as it was it was my basic nightmare for a shoot. Imagine trying to set up a tripod and a large camera in a herd of cattle. Pretty much. So after opting out of a spot on a wooden deck (which with all the cattle movement would end up blurring) we found a railing along a paved path where other folk were taking quick picts. I set up with Gayle on one side and Alexis on the other to keep people from potentially knocking the camera. Just before opening the shutter I did have one man literally put his entire 35mm camera with a flash in front on my camera and take a picture. Basically due to the chaotic situation all photographing etiquette seemed to be out the window. 40 mins into the shot an employee of the temple came over and told us there were no tripods allowed so I had to close the shutter early and pack up. Though relieved to get out of there I have to say my stress level was high! I had such a limited time and needed to get a something. We had plans to climb another mountain the next night for an alternate shot of Kyoto so at least a plan B was set in place.

We walked along the ridge near the temple and I found some Octiballs for dinner (what I named the balls of batter with onion and octopus in them covered with BBQ sauce I ate) while Alexis and Gayle went for the eggs and ham in batter made in a fish shaped waffle iron. Before giving up we walked through a lovely park in old town Kyoto, really one of the most beautiful areas I’ve seen anywhere. Exhausted and I will admit disappointed (but hopeful the shot would come out anyway) we found our way back to Mike’s apartment.



SHOT 2

Okay so mountain #3 in Japan. Luckily for my project they have a lot of them near major cities. We met up with Alexis in the afternoon at the Golden Temple (the entire temple is actually painted with gold leaf) and also met up with a friend’s friend at the train station at the bottom of the mountain. 4 up we headed to the tram station where we caught a tram half way up the slope to a ropeway that took us to the top, another good-looking ride (when are gondola rides not cool?). At the top it was a strange sort of scene with no clear view options, a bunch of radio towers and construction so since the halfway mark was high enough we took the ropeway back down. Alexis had once hiked up to this point and had remembered a viewpoint, which we found off to the left of the tram station. There a crescent moon was setting over a hilly view of the valley that cradles Kyoto.

Another COLD night and I had some trouble deciding how to frame the shot. In the end I included the slope of the mountain to the left and centered the setting moon. A long hour and half we spent in the tram bathroom to keep warm (the tram had closed down for the night but luckily there are vending machines EVERYWHERE in Japan. We’re talking at the top and middle of mountains AND they give you cold and HOT drink options.) We all got a bit caffeinated trying out the sweet milk teas and coffees in the machine while waiting and I distributed the usual lollipops and other snack rations we had brought. I have to say all were troopers in the cold bathroom on a mountain in Japan but I will say the team got in even more of a trooper mode for the hike down the mountain.

While all other mountains had had a somewhat easy going downward movement to the base, this baby was no joke. With a few flashlights and some cell phones used for light, equipment on my back and a lot of darkness we followed a badly marked and sketchy trail full of boulders and roots and a steep decline into the forest blanketing the bottom half of the mountain. I will say there was something exhilarating about adventuring to that degree in the dark at night but I am certain it was unnerving for the rest of the group who had much less invested in my work. We did make it down safely after about 2 hours of intense hiking (I grew up going to Yosemite every year so this was not girly stuff!)! All feeling accomplished and exhausted we all quickly found our respective ways homeward.