It
was a restful, yet productive, three day weekend.
Sunday and Monday were spent installing
some extra hard drives in my computer (I now have 1.4
Terabytes of backup storage capacity! Mwaaaa! ...Mwaaaa!!...
Mwaaaa!!!....), changing the water in the fish tank,
cleaning the house, and last but not least, resting.
On Saturday I spent the morning in
Kamakura, making the rounds of the temples and shrines
within easy walking distance of the station. (Saturday
evening was spent in Yokohama, getting some night shots)
For photo gear I took the following
with me: 5D, 17-40mm, 50mm, 70-300mm IS, and a 6 gigabyte
microdrive. This turns out to be quite a versatile and
compact setup that covers a very wide range. I am even
impressed enough with the 70-300mm DO IS lens that I
am thinking about selling my brand new 70-200mm f2.8
L IS. (The 70-300 is a whole lot lighter and smaller
than the 70-200)
The longer I take pictures the more
I have come to realize that having or using the absolute
best or sharpest lenses doesn't really matter that much.
The equipment itself really is secondary to what you
do with it. Having said that, I do love my 5D. Full
frame is an absolute joy to use, and it seems to bring
out the best in all the lenses I have.
--
Kamakura is a great place to visit.
Even though I have been there more times than I can
remember each time I go I push myself to see the place
in a slightly new way. Searching for a new shot, a new
angle, a new way to see an old place.
About 3 hours into my day of shooting
in kamakura I found myself at Jufukuji Temple.
I was taking a lot of shots of the
front gate area and the long straight path leading into
the Temple grounds when behind me I noticed an older
Japanese gentlemen pull up on a bicycle.
He slowed to a halt and propped his bike up on its kickstand,
then started rummaging in his backpack. When I saw him
pull out a camera I ducked behind the entranceway wall
so as to not block his picture taking. I was going to
wait for him to finish his shooting so I could go back
to my own picture taking, but after taking his photo
he came through the gate and introduced himself to me.
We chatted for a few minutes, after
which he asked if I would like to see the areas of the
Temple that are closed to tourists. Naturally I jumped
at the chance.
We walked up the path to the inner
part of the grounds where he opened the low bamboo gate
for me. (Just a single pole really)
We passed through and entered the graveyard at Jufukuji
Temple.
Leading me down a narrow winding path
he finally stopped at some caves. Pointing into one
cave he showed me a long row of egg shaped carvings,
about 2 feet high each. I asked him what they were and
he told me they were grave markers for each of the head
Priests of the temple, going all the way back to the
13th century.
There are times when the age of this
country really jumps up and bites me.
This was definitely one of
those times.
I counted the grave markers that I
could see... more than 30 in all. And all were carved
in exactly the same manner. (It's nice to see that some
things don't change)
A little further down the path he
showed me his family plot which is located in yet another
cave carved into the sheer rock cliff. This was at the
end of the path, so it was obvious to me that this was
the end of the tour. So I thanked him for giving me
an opportunity to see something I otherwise never would
have seen, and then politely excused myself.
As I was making my way back down the
path I turned to look back and saw him lighting some
incense at his family grave site. I stopped for a moment
to absorb the scene, and just as I turned to leave,
my last glimpse was of him pressing his palms together
and bowing as he said a prayer for his ancestors.
Upon reaching the bamboo gate I slid
it open and exited the place, careful to close the gate
as I left. (Although the gate was low enough that I
could have very easily just stepped over it, but that
just did not seem very appropriate.)
As I always do when out shooting photos,
I had been searching for that elusive moment, that perfect
angle to shoot, to take a new picture, or to take an
old picture in a new way, but in doing so I had the
good fortune to come upon something else.
Something different, but just as valuable
to me.
A new experience.
A little bit deeper insight into this
place that I now call home. Peeling back yet another
thin layer of that onion to see what lies beneath.
Let's hope I never get to the middle of that onion...
Comment 44
|
