Testing... Testing... New Camera!

That's right, I got myself a new camera yesterday. My first "proper" camera, if you will. I've more or less outgrown my little point-and-shoot, so thought it was time to upgrade to a DSLR. I've got about a month to get the hang of it before I leave for some of my big, final trips in Japan. So today, with the weather being dry, if not sunny, I made my way to Nagoyama Temple to experiment.

Most of my photos came out pretty terribly, beyond what even Photoshop can save. Still, after a couple hours and a hundred-or-so photos, I can say that I'm starting to get a feel for how this kind of camera works. I'm slowly figuring out all of the technical terms on my camera's menu, and what situations work best for my two lenses.

If the weather holds, I'll go test my camera out some more somewhere in Himeji next weekend. Until then, here are the better pictures of my first attempt at using a DSLR. Frustrations at my lack of skills aside, I actually had a lot of fun! I'm looking forward to growing in skill with this camera!

The stairway fountain is always a quiet part of the mountain.

A closeup of the stairway fountain.

One of the main temples in the distance, from midway up the stairs. It was an overcast day.

A view over the city.

Two sparrows gossiping about the city below.

I spotted this pretty, little butterfly; however, it didn't want to move to a more photogenic position.

The pigeon has conquered Alaska.

One of the few photos I managed where the white of the temple did not blend with the white of the sky.

I had better luck photographing these flowers up close. Definitely the best part so far of the new camera.

It's hydrangea season, which I think have become among my favorite flowers in Japan. They're just so colorful and elegant!

This one bush of hydrangea had blooms ranging from pink to violet, and every shade in between.

What trip to Nagoyama would be complete without a picture of a cat? They were mostly hiding, but I did find this pretty fellow at the bottom of some stairs. He very enthusiastically wanted his chin scratched at all times, but deigned to let me get a portrait of him.

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Cherry Blossom Season at Nagoyama Temple!

I haven't been to Nagoyama Temple in awhile, but today was a beautiful sunny day, and since it's about 10 minutes away by bicycle, I couldn't resist! Nagoyama is absolutely stunning during cherry blossom season! I know everyone crowds into Himeji Castle for cherry blossom viewing, but I definitely think Nagoyama's cherry trees are of comparable beauty; perhaps some might find the idea of flower viewing in a cemetery depressing, but wow, this is probably the most beautiful cemetery I have ever seen! Also, there were cats everywhere. Would they be considered temple cats or graveyard cats? Can you spot Himeji Castle (in its scaffolding)? The cemetery extends for quite a ways around the main temple, and there were cherry trees everywhere! A small garden nestled between the hills of graves. You can see the city stretching out behind it! I love how, at certain angles, the main temple seems to float above a sea of cherry trees. ...

Shinzaike Honcho Festival, Friendship Festival, and the Countryside!

Lots of photos and a few videos incoming! The Shinzaike Honcho Festival was the local neighborhood festival. The shrine was just down the street from Shirasagi, and all of us ALT's walked to it. It was a lot of fun! Three other neighborhoods were also having their festivals at the same time, which meant that we ran into their portable shrines along the way now and then. Everything culminated at the park on top of the hill next to Shirasagi, with performances by the kids and some portable shrine "dancing." The portable shrine was alternately carried and pushed/pulled along the route we took, which circled through most of the area around the Shinzaike Honcho main street. We marched in lines behind the portable shrine, chanting "Yo Ya Sa" along the way (the equivalent of "heave ho!"). The entrance to the shrine. (^ Some detailed photos of the portable shrine. ^) (A lion dance performance at the start of the festival.) ...

Foggy Day on Yoshino Mountain!

Yoshino Mountain is located in Nara Prefecture, and it is often considered one of the best places in Japan to see cherry blossoms. It takes about three hours and multiple train connections to get there from Himeji, which means that if you leave early enough, it's day-trip doable. I went there last weekend, on the 11th of April. The temperature was warm, but the weather alternated between foggy and cloudy. The trails were quite muddy due to the rainy days all of the week prior, but the views were still stunning! The trees were in various stages of losing their blossoms, so with each gust of wind petals were knocked off and blown about, creating a snowy impression. I wish I could have seen it on a sunny day, with the blossoms at their peak! I did my best to photograph the beautiful cherry-covered slopes during my hike, but the fog mutes the bright colors of the blossoms. New cherry leaves grow in with an orange-red color, which combined with the lingering pink and white blossoms c...

Daley-sensei's Adventures in Himeji, Japan.

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