Spring Leaves: Korin-in Temple (興臨院), 2

Posted by GJC (Kyoto (京都), Japan) on 22 May 2009 in Plant & Nature.

Howard F. from South Pasadena, Calif., United States

Beautiful green canopy. My only pet peeve about this garden is the shape of those shrubs. The round shrubs just don't match with the naturalistic surrounding. I apologize, it's a job-related habit :) Great shot still.

22 May 2009 8:03am

@Howard F.: Thanks for the visit and comment. What a wonderful observation! It never would have occured to me, so I appreciate your expert advice. Next time I'm there I'll give the gardners your thoughts and I'll see what they say! :-)

BoB from Milano, Italy

wow beautiful green scene!

22 May 2009 10:54am

Roman from Thunder Bay, Canada

I'm always amazed how lush the greenery is in you area. This is gorgeous, romantic settings. I especially like how the sun plays on the bushes under the canopy and on the lawn. Beautiful work !
But one distracting thing for me is the edge of the roof you caught in the upper left corner.

cheers
Roman

22 May 2009 12:01pm

@Roman: Thanks so much for the visit and comment. As you know, photographs are a wonderfully subjective thing. So while I can understand why that little corner of the roof might be a little distracting, for me it is part of the image because it matches the line of the stone water drain along the bottom so that there is a "wedge" on the left side and it gives the photo an almost two-dimensional look, sort of like the old woodblock prints. You can see a better example of this same strategy in a photo I took in the autumn. Still, I appreciate your thoughtful suggestion. My problem with this photo, and why I almost didn't post it, is becuase the light burned out the leaves right at the roof-line. That is what bothers me about this photo :)

daina from United States

I always love the black areas in your photos and your use of negative space. It is a signature aspect of many of your images. It directs the eye. I must be in a contentious mood this morning because I also strongly disagree with the gardening opinion. I love Japanese gardens and their shaped look that combines and contrasts free flowing forms with formal structural elements where both set off the other. An English garden would have totally different sensibility for example – gardening styles and ideas differ with cultures just as almost anything else does. My favorite part of this image is how the light glances off the round bushes.

22 May 2009 2:08pm

Stu from Kyoto, Japan

Wow this is incredible, and it was interesting reading the comments. I think I'm with Daina re the shrubs and I love the patches of light on the moss(?) too. I must confess that I didn't notice that the light had blown out the leaves at the top - I think I was so struck by the almost overwhelming greenness that it just didn't register. There really is the most beautiful balance of light and shadow in this one.
Also - where is Koren-In? I don't think I know it.

22 May 2009 3:11pm

@Stu: Thanks for the visit and comment. It's been very interesting! As to this temple, it's a sub-temple in the Daitokuji complex. It normally isn't open to the public but they had a special opening for about 2 weeks to allow visitors to see the new leaves. Fortunately my wife saw something in the paper about it and it is definitely worth seeing.

Veronique from Sarrouilles, France

...no comment after these ! they express so well what I think but unable to write in English

22 May 2009 5:27pm

Steve Rice from Olympia, United States

I've seen a few Japanese gardens (Kyoto's are the best I've seen) and they are, without exception, meticulously cared for. The shrubs, the trees, even the moss are all fussed over endlessly to keep everything looking the way it was intended when it was laid out perhaps centuries ago. In short, I have no problem with these most beautiful of gardens and their expert care. As to your photograph, I think its the best of the Spring Leaves series so far. It's simply brilliant.

22 May 2009 8:23pm

António Pires from Lisbon, Portugal

Beautiful.

22 May 2009 9:08pm

Ronnie 2¢ from London, United Kingdom

The Comments you have attracted here are as engaging as the lovely image . . I, too, always admire the intensity of your photographs which seems, somehow, never to detract from the deep sense of peace.

23 May 2009 1:24am

grant from kansas city, United States

so many shades of green and wonderful light

25 May 2009 4:33am

Lucca from Cologne, Germany

So you live in paradise? // Lovely composition (especially with part of the roof) , and yes it's a pitty the light burned out the leaves right at the roof-line — I love it though.

26 May 2009 9:31pm