Or maybe holy moly is nearer the mark.
I’m an atheist and may have been unconsciously riffing on Led Zeppelin when I rather spontaneously came up with that blog title.
I spent a great deal of my time over the course of my visit to Japan in its stunning gardens.
Because duh.
This composition is of a small garden area situated in front of the Enmei-In temple at Kiyomizu-dera.
Visiting Kyoto was an absolute must for my itinerary, as my aunt Hisaye was from there, though she spent the vast majority of her life in the US.
I had written to her when I was 20-something about my dreams of getting to Japan one day, which she fully encouraged.
Spending the last day of 2025 and beginning of 2026 in a city known for its many temples seemed somehow appropriate.
Both photographing this slice of Japanese temple life on location and processing images were a struggle.
One thing or another got in the way when I was composing, usually low fencing out of frame obstructing the foreground.
In keeping with today’s theme, I’m giving myself some grace and trying to be a little less less critical.
There was no getting around the blown out sky, which I knew was going to be an issue at the time.
I’ve cropped down to 16x9 to cut most of that out.
I don’t mind the bits of that I couldn’t eliminate.
Even in late December, bare tree branches obscure the buildings to an extent.
However, I think that works to my advantage here. The resulting scene is more impressionistic.
I also think the relative lack of detail in the background lends the photo a more painterly feeling and softness that accentuates the tranquil mood.
Thanks as always for reading me and contemplating my work.