Tokyo, Japan – Zojoji Temple (Infrared)

May31

Tokyo is a wonderful place to visit and I was hoping to get a chance to shoot some IR shots. I was lucky to get some Bonsai Trees by the Zojoji Temple (left hand tree with rounded segments). Japan has some great trees…Bonsai, Japanese Maple and Cherry Blossom. This little garden was located at the back of the temple. I walked around and here you can find housing and other little buildings. This is a great location….just above the tree-line was the Tokyo Tower!

Info from the web: Bonsai is the art of growing trees, or woody plants shaped as trees, in containers. Bonsai is sometimes confused with dwarfing, but dwarfing more accurately refers to researching and creating cultivars of plant material that are permanent, genetic miniatures of existing species. Bonsai does not require genetically dwarfed trees, but rather depends on growing small trees from regular stock and seeds. Bonsai uses cultivation techniques like pruning, root reduction, potting, defoliation, and grafting to produce small trees that mimic the shape and style of mature, full-sized trees.

The purposes of bonsai are primarily contemplation (for the viewer) and the pleasant exercise of effort and ingenuity (for the grower). By contrast with other plant-related practices, bonsai is not intended for production of food, for medicine, or for creating yard-sized or park-sized landscapes. As a result, the scope of bonsai practice is narrow and focused on long-term cultivation and shaping of one or more small trees in a single container. ‘Bonsai’ is a Japanese pronunciation of the earlier Chinese term penzai (盆栽). A ‘bon’ is a tray-like pot typically used in bonsai culture. The word bonsai is sometimes used as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots, but this article focuses primarily on bonsai as defined in the Japanese tradition. Similar practices in other cultures include the Chinese tradition of penjing and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ.

Talke Photography Settings:

Camera: Nikon D70S (Converted to Infrared)
Infrared Conversion: D70S modified by LifePixel
Lens: Nikon 12-24 f/4
Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 18.0mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/25 sec
Aperture: f/22
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS4, Viveza

Tokyo, Japan – Zojo-Ji Temple Bell (HDR)

Apr30

Near the Tokyo Tower there is a cool temple called Zojo-Ji. It was the first temple I have ever visited. Outside in the gardens you can find some very nice views. In the background you can see the cherry blossoms in bloom! Tokyo is a wonderful place…wish I had lots more time to explore it!

Info from the web: With hundreds of statues and an elaborate golden alter, Zojoji Temple is dedicated to Jizo, the patron saint of travellers and departed children. The building is a 1974 reconstruction, the original was destroyed in the air raids of May 1945. In the garden look out for the two trees – one planted in 1879 by General Grant the 18th President of America, and the other, in 1982 by George Bush. The temple is set in attractive gardens surrounded by Shiba Koen (park). It offers some great photo opportunities with the traditional Zojoji temple in the foreground and the modern Tokyo Tower in the background.

Talke Photography Settings: