Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. From its origins in Kyoto more than a millenia ago, this is an art form that has evolved within a formal tradition…
Iya Onsen Hotel perches high above the Iya River in the mountainous and less-traveled region that is in the interior of Shikoku, Japan's fourth largest island. The area is magical,…
I'm recently back from a magical time in Japan. Almost all parts of this journey were wonderful. I enjoyed traveling on my own to Nikko National Park, and the group…
Some photographic subjects resonate in the poetic sense. For example, spirals, bridges, the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, this possible subject-matter resonance is not sufficient to…
I've never understood the lyrics of the song "Don't go chasing waterfalls." Apparently, if you Google it, the lyric to this catchy tune (I've worked out to its beat at…
When and where: November 6-19, 2024; the adventure begins in Osaka and ends in Kyoto, Japan. Group Size: This is an exclusive, small photo workshop (non-photographer significant others are also…
I think that "subversive metaphoto" is a mouthful, but I kind of like the phrase. Ponderous? Sure. Pretentious? Double sure. But here's the thing. I spend much time thinking on…
The Grand Shrine of Ise is dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. One of Shinto's most sacred shrines, this complex of shrines, inner shrines, and sub-shrines covers a larger land…
For the image of Bamboo Woods near Kyoto, I made seven exposures on my tripod at shutter speeds ranging from 1/2 a second to 20 seconds, varying each exposure by about…
When I first heard about the museum in Yokohama honoring Cup of Noodles instant soup, Nissin Food Products, and Momofuku Ando, the company's founder and the inventor of instant ramen…
I spent the day on Miyajima Island, which is a pretty wonderful place. I told Phyllis it was like Sausalito with a bit of religion, tame deer, and 300,000 oysters…
At Kanazawa Station, on my way to Hiroshima, I saw this pretty train on a local track. I don't really know what it was about, but it seemed to be…
I had a lesson in making Temari sushi at In Kenazawa House. This kind of sushi is a specialty of the Kenazawa region, and based on small, round balls that…
Following a long "day" of travel I am now in Kanazawa, Japan. I use the term "day" somewhat notionally: I started early Wednesday morning California time and arrived at my…
Where will this path lead us? The town of Magome hugs the side of the mountain, and the Nakasendo Trail here is lined by inns, wood crafters, and small eating…
This is a photograph of the garden courtyard of a Shikubu (guesthouse) in a monastery in Mt Koya Japan in autumn. There's no place like Japan, and when I am…
I'm organizing a photography week in Tokyo for next year. As part of my research and planning for this destination photo workshop I pulled some photos from my files that…
I've been writing this blog since 2005, which is to say over twelve years. Sometimes there's more, and sometimes I have less to say, but the average is about ten…