This time of year always makes me a bit stir crazy. The days are short, it tends to be cold, and opportunities to go out are few and far between. Thankfully there is a huge park nearby so when an opportunity does arrive, we can be surrounded by greenery in as little as 20 minutes. These photos are from our last visit. It had just stopped raining and was threatening to do so again, and it was rather cold and windy. No worries! That didn't dampen our enthusiasm at all and the upside was having the park almost all to ourselves. Ah, it's one of my favourite places...
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Our Christmas present to ourselves was a few days visiting Awaji Shima, a small island not too far away. Ah, bliss! Several days of Japanese hot springs and delicious food was such a treat! We've both been exceptionally busy these past few months so the chance to relax and unwind was most welcome. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't all that cooperative - mostly cold winds and overcast skies - but still there's something about the open expanse of sky and sea that is good for one's soul. And, well, hot springs certainly help too... Despite several days of heavy clouds and light rain I did manage to take a few photographs. Here are some from our very last day. How to brighten up an extra work day:
(If you know what these pink flowers are, please leave a comment. As usual, I have no idea...)   This weekend I went on a short boat cruise. The main purpose was to enjoy the view of Mt. Fujii. Well, the weather was spectacular. The skies were a beautiful clear blue and there was hardly a cloud to be seen - except for those covering Mt. Fujii. All we could see was the very tip and that soon disappeared from view. Ah well. It was a glorious day to be out and the seagulls kept us entertained from beginning to end. (And we had fabulous views of Mt. Fujii the next day with no cloud coverage at all.) Oh, the seagulls! As you may have noticed, I rarely take photos of things that move. I just haven't had much experience. However, the seagulls were flying so close I decided to take a chance. My camera settings were not what they should have been and, boy, can those things move fast! But I can be stubborn and so I tried. And tried. And tried. In the end, I took over 150 shots. Less than a handful were successful but still I'm glad I tried. Yes! Sometimes, that stubbornness pays off! (^.~)/ (Here are my two favorite shots. I use a prime lens - no zoom capabilities - so the seagulls at the bottom were particularly close.)   It's such a beautiful time of year. The air is crisp, the sky is blue, and the fall foliage is spectacular. Unfortunately, it's also the busiest time of year for me and so, on most days, I sit in my office and look wistfully out the window. Thankfully, last weekend I managed to get to Kyoto for a few hours. We went early in the day and were able to avoid the worst of the crowds. It was only a few hours and left me wanting so much more. Ah... So wishing fall lasted longer and I had more free time. (This is the very first shot from that visit to Kyoto. It was a little early yet - the trees were only just starting to change.)  |
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I'm a photographer based in Osaka, Japan. I love to take photographs. I like to share.
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