|
I took Miguels advice from the last
entries comments and trimmed down my pack of photo gear
for this past weekend. I left the medium format gear
at home and stuck with my digital camera. (But I did
tuck the lomo into my pack since it weighs next to nothing
and is a great candid shooter for tight situations)
I am happy to say that this was great
advice.
Less truly is more.
For Sundays jaunt to Kamakura I replaced
the 100 Macro with my 100-400mm lens. It stayed on my
camera most of the day. Periodically I would put on
the 28-75 or less frequently the 17-40. The 200mm never
left my bag. Just like packing clothes for a trip, I
ended up taking slightly more than I needed... Maybe
I should use an even smaller camera bag. This will force
me to trim down my gear list even more.
I am happy to announce that this past
weekend was a smashing success for getting new photos.
The weather, for the most part, cooperated. It was a
little too sunny for my liking, but I guess you can't
have Everything...
Saturday was a full day spent splitting
my time between Shinjuku Gyoen, Sumida Park, and Asakusa
Temple. There were hoards of people at all three places
and this kept my head on a permanent swivel, always
on the lookout for a special moment...
I actually ran into a Sushicam viewer
while at Asakusa Temple. I was scoping the area for
some shots when I heard, "Hey Jeff". The guy
who recognized me was also there to get some photos
of the celebration.
The sakura at Shinjuku Gyoen were
particularly impressive. Every tree was in full bloom,
and there were many varieties to see. My personal favorite
is the one with long trailing branches of pink blossoms
that arch toward the ground.
When the wind would pick up the place
would be awash in a warm, sweet-scented blizzard of
cherry blossoms, or "Sakura Fubuki".
Absolute magic.
One of those moments in your lifetime
that reminds you that the best things in life really
are free.
Couple this with a steady mellow buzz
from the periodic beer breaks I was taking made for
an extremely relaxing day.
Sakura really are a fleeting gift.
But I think this impermanence is what
makes them all the more special. Only being in their
full glory for a scant couple of days before the warm
storms of spring dash them from the branches makes them
a rare and treasured gift.
But this is only the first step in
the process. There is another stage to this gift of
spring.
As the pink and white is stripped
from the branches the second part of the magic of cherry
trees is revealed.
You see, "Sakura" is always
followed by "Hazakura".
"Ha" is Japanese for "leaf" and
Hazakura is what it is called when the trees explode
into lush arms of brilliant green, rippling in the breeze
and ripe with the promise of another long hot summer.
Yes.
It is official.
I love springtime in Japan...
--
Sunday was spent in Kamakura absorbing
all the sights, sounds, tastes, and beers of the Kamakura
Festival.
It makes me happy that we are now
at the front cusp of the festival season in Japan. The
next couple of months is going to be absolutely bursting
with Matsuri and I plan on getting into the middle of
as many of them as I possibly can.
Comment 39
|
