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Trekking in the Atlas

Last March/April I did a 10 day trip with my buddy João Almeida to Morocco. We went to Marrakesh, Imlil, Essaouira and back to Marrakesh. As I’m still going through Marrakesh images my first post will be about Imlil and the Atlas.

Imlil is a small village roughly 1700 meters above sea level and pretty close to Marrakesh, some 70 km away. I didn’t find the village interesting at all, but it’s famous as a starting point for trekkers who want to reach Toubkal, the highest mountain in northern Africa. That said, there are several interesting routes to walk around Imlil.

In the first day we went for a short walk to Kasbah du Toubkal to photograph the view of Aroumd and the background mountains covered with snow. On the second day we did a larger trek southwest of Imlil and through Aroumd on the final stage. It took us around 4 hours and was pretty fun. On the way we saw several interesting spots for night shots since the moon would be full one of the days we would be there. Unfortunately, only the first night had clear skies. On the third day we did the crazy trek. Starting west, going up to 2400 meters, then north and downwards to 2000 meters and then east and south, crossing a river and a few villages in between. We didn’t bring a guide nor a map, only a sketch on a paper, and that leads to mistakes. We were supposed to go down a route to the road and follow it back to Imlil, but instead we met a couple of guys coming from the mountain and asked them if we could reach Imlil from that path. They said yes, and there we went. The path was dangerous, slippery and with huge slopes. We had to jump over rocks and it got harder after the sun set. Luckily we had our head lanterns in the backpack and after a few hours we actually arrived in Imlil for our satisfaction. In the end it was a 10 hours trek to cover 14 km of mountain trails.

Berber villages were incredible difficult to photograph, people would instantly give us “that look” just for carrying a camera on the shoulder. No luck with people this time, but the landscape wasn’t that bad =)

Dirt road in the Atlas. Morocco

Typical village in Morocco Atlas. Morocco

Village through a tree branches in Morocco Atlas mountains. Morocco

Typical village in Morocco Atlas. Morocco

Morocco Atlas mountains. Morocco

Aroumd village in Toubkal National Park. Morocco

Starry sky in Toubkal National Park. Morocco

May 20, 2013 | Categories: Culture, Landscapes, Morocco | Tags: atlas, berber, culture, landscapes, morocco, trekking, villages | 2 Comments »

Japanese Macaques

Making plans for a trip is good to stay relaxed while traveling, but keeping an open mind is very good too. Although we had our stays all booked when we left Lisbon, we didn’t have a defined plan for each place we were staying. That’s what happened during our last day in Tokyo.

A bit after 6 am in the morning and the alarm clock rings. Time to get up and head for the first train. Then goes another, and another, a bus, and a 30 minute walk. More than 4 h of travel to reach Jigokudani Monkey Park, but well worth! The surrounding peaks were already covered with snow, but not the monkeys. Nonetheless, the mountain slopes still showed some autumn colors.

We stayed for almost three hours in the shivering cold, photographing the macaques from all possible angles and we were greeted by some extraordinary behavior. I had no idea I could see so much in so little time. It was indeed an amazing experience being so close with these animals that, although wild, are accustomed to the human presence.

In the end we both were really glad to have taken such a long journey on this last full day of our trip to Japan. Here are some of my best shots from that wonderful day:

Japanese macaque in the pool. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque running with cub on its back. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque in the pool. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque relaxing. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque eating in the pool. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque in the pool. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque drinking water. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque in the pool. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque looking above. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque relaxing. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque hand. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque getting out of the water. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque running. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque in the pool. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanece macaque with cub in the pool. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaques grooming. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque cub eating in the pool. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanece macaque cub playing with its parent. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque with cub. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaque. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanese macaques. Jigokudani, Japan

Japanece macaque. Jigokudani, Japan

May 02, 2013 | Categories: Japan, Wildlife | Tags: japan, japanese macaque, jigokudani, monkey, nature, Wildlife | 4 Comments »

Mystic Shirakawa-Go

Ogimachi village in Shirakawa-Go is a one hour bus distance from Takayama and is part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. That’s easy to understand once one reaches the small village decorated by large traditional gassho-zukuri minka houses. These are vernacular houses constructed in a traditional japanese building style. What distinguishes Gassho-zukuri houses from other kinds of minka are the high, peaked roofs, serving as a storage space for the harsh winter season.

We had the chance to spend a night in one of these houses with a local family and it was a great experience, although not cheap at all, but that is probably due to the village’s status as a true highlight.

The first day was kind of boring, we did a few shots but after sunset everything was lifeless. The following morning we woke up really early to try to photograph the place without the huge tourist crowds. The sky was covered with clouds with a slight mist over the surrounding mountains. Then the magic happened, the sun was already up and broke through the clouds. Its light rays warmed the trees on the mountain slopes and water started to evaporate. It was a show worth watching, and worth photographing.

The following are a few images I managed to capture in this wonderful and unexpected morning.

Typical Shirakawa-Go house. Japan

Shirakawa-Go bridge. Japan

Colorful autumn trees in Shirakawa-Go. Japan

Black Kite in flight. Shirakawa-Go, Japan

Foggy morning in Shirakawa-Go. Japan

Apr 15, 2013 | Categories: Culture, Japan, Nature | Tags: japan, landscape, nature, ogimachi, shirakawa-go, unesco, Wildlife | Leave A Comment »

Takayama Autumn Colors

Sometimes I arrive at a place with one or two days booked and it engages me in a way that I really want to stay more time. Other times, often when I have to get everything booked in advance, the place seems much more interesting in guidebooks and photos on the web than what it really is to me. That was what happened in Takayama during my trip to Japan.

In one morning me and João had it covered and I only took a so-so image. On that night, the sushi restaurant saved the day, but the dilemma was…what should we do next with our free time? João had a plan to visit the workshop where his Iaido sword was forged, I had no plan whatsoever. The previous day we walked through a forest on one side of the city, but the light wasn’t that good for what I envisioned, but since I would have a free day I headed there first thing in morning. At 8 am I was in the forest, me, the trees, the colorful leaves, a few birds. A can of fresh green tea with milk was my only company.

This was the autumn feeling I was looking for in Japan, the colors that weren’t still there in many other places on this time of the year. But now I had this for me and I wanted to enjoy the moment and bring some images to share with you.

Japanese maple in autumn. Takayama, Japan

At 10 am the light was already too harsh and I had covered almost the entire forest. With nothing better to do I went for a relaxing day…yes, photographers do relax! Left my gear in the temple – yup, I slept in a temple – and went to the train station, showed my JR Pass, and there I went to the first train that arrived. Destination? Who cares…as long as I had my ebook reader. I picked a sit by the window and only left it 3h later when my stomach was begging for some care. In Gifu I left the train, took a walk and had a wonderful lunch. Then back to Takayama with a smile on my face, relaxed, and very happy about how the “no plans” day turned out to be great.

Apr 04, 2013 | Categories: Japan, Nature | Tags: autumn, colors, fall, flora, japan, leaves, nature, takayama, trees | 2 Comments »

Koyasan – Okunoin Graveyard

Okunoin is a huge graveyard, more than 2km in length, in a mystical forest and for sure the most sacred place in Koyasan.

The graveyard is divided in three parts by a couple of bridges. Two cobblestone paths join in the middle and several walking trails raise towards the hills and huge cedar trees along the sides. There are over 200.000 gravestones in Okunoin, several of them in honor of highly ranked individuals like Shogun clan leaders and brave samurai. There’s even a place where japanese and korean soldiers rest side by side. The japanese considered the koreans as brave as their own soldiers, and human beings with honor always deserve a good place to rest. Although they fought as enemies, their values made them brothers!

The most important site, the place that attracts most Buddhist pilgrims, lies at the end of the path, and that is where Kobo Daishi, the founder of Koyasan and Shingon Buddhism, rests in eternal meditation since March 21, 835. It is believed that he entered his mausoleum, closed the door and is still answering pilgrim’s salvation wishes these days.

I spent there two afternoons, two nights and two mornings, and although during the only full day I was there the weather wasn’t great, I still got some pleasant surprises, specially on the last morning. The place is really quiet, silence, pure silence dominates the mood. Everything is green, and the tall cedars made me feel really humble, specially when I got off the beaten track. Some lanterns even looked like fairy houses as you can see on the images below. After all, it’s a place where one can really feel what peace is all about, it’s surely a beautiful and harmonious place for those souls to rest.

Buddha statue at Okunoin graveyard. Koyasan, Japan

Morning light on a lantern at Okunoin graveyard. Koyasan, Japan

Morning light at Okunoin graveyard. Koyasan, Japan

Okunoin graveyard. Koyasan, Japan

Lantern in Okunoin graveyard. Koyasan, Japan

Shinto gate at Okunoin graveyard. Koyasan, Japan

Kobo Daishi statue at Okunoin graveyard. Koyasan, Japan

Mar 14, 2013 | Categories: Culture, Japan | Tags: buddhist, culture, graveyard, japan, koyasan, okunoin | 2 Comments »

Buddhist Cerimonies in Koyasan

During my trip to Japan I spent a couple of days in Koyasan, a sacred mountain in Wakayama Prefecture where Kobo-Daishi first settled. Kobo-Daishi was a japanese monk, civil servant, scholar, poet, artist, calligrapher and engineer. That is a lot for just one man, and if this was not enough he was also the founder of the Shingon (True Word) school of Buddhism.

Koyasan is like a temple village, it is temple after temple…after temple. Those temples also work as guesthouses, almost all at the same price and they serve some good buddhist vegetarian meals at dinner and breakfast for their guests. Yes, the price is quite high, but there were some things I could not miss in Japan, and this was one of them, Koyasan.

Most temples have morning religious ceremonies so we did our homework and chose a temple to stay that allowed us to photograph the ceremonies. Some of you already know me and I’m an honest photographer. I may be wrong, but my feeling is that these ceremonies are more for guests to see than the real deal. Nevertheless, I still did what I had to do and photographed both the Morning Praying Ceremony and the Goma Fire Ritual. I also recorded some live sound clips that I intend to put together as a multimedia piece.

The Morning Prayer Ceremony is dedicated to pray for the ancestor’s souls piece. Incense is burned and beautiful prayers are chanted between the monks. The mood is dark in light but the feeling is actually there and is beautiful, almost an hypnotic experience if I could get a confortable position on the floor.

Ekoin temple. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 29mm, f/2.8, 1/20s, ISO 12800

Praying monk at Ekoin temple during morning ceremony. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 165mm, f/2.8, 1/20s, ISO 12800

Praying monk at Ekoin temple during morning ceremony. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 140mm, f/2.8, 1/50s, ISO 12800

Praying monk at Ekoin temple during morning ceremony. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/2.8, 1/30s, ISO 12800

Buddhist offering during morning ceremony at Ekoin temple. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 135mm, f/2.8, 1/50s, ISO 12800

Praying monk at Ekoin temple during morning ceremony. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/2.8, 1/80s, ISO 12800

Praying monk at Ekoin temple during morning ceremony. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/2.8, 1/40s, ISO 12800

The Goma Fire Ritual is a meditation ceremony with drums and chantings where the priest burns some wood sticks in front of Buddha into a growing warm flame. The fire symbolizes the wisdom of the Buddha and the sticks the human desires. The goal is that Buddha burns away people suffering as they pray for their wishes to come true.

Monk playing drums during the Goma fire ritual at Ekoin temple. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/2.8, 1/50s, ISO 6400

Priest celebrating the Goma fire ritual at Ekoin temple. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/2.8, 1/20s, ISO 6400

Priest celebrating the Goma fire ritual at Ekoin temple. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/2.8, 1/25s, ISO 6400

Priest celebrating the Goma fire ritual at Ekoin temple. Koyasan, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/4, 1/80s, ISO 3200

Mar 05, 2013 | Categories: Culture, Japan, People | Tags: buddhist, ceremony, culture, japan, koyasan, monk, people, ritual | Leave A Comment »

Hidden Gion

This is not another one of those show-off-your-pretty-images kind of post, this is a post about feelings. Yes, I had wonderful moments in Japan photographing lots of different subjects, but nothing touched me more than night photography in Gion, the mythical Kyoto neighborhood where ancient Japan still lives.

Unfortunately it doesn’t live in front of my eyes, it lives for the high ranked japanese society behind red lanterns and simple curtains. It’s not a matter of money or society vip, it’s a matter of who you know.

I wasn’t prepared for this, I would love to properly photograph a geiko or maiko, but that was out of my reach. Instead, and probably for the first time in my photographic career I just let my feelings flow, forgot the pretty pictures and just tried to capture what I felt at those moments. Every night, four in total, even after walking more than 10km during the day, I would go to Gion to get my daily dosis of inspiration. When João went with me, we would usually split up and meet some time later at a defined point. Gion is actually small with narrow low-light streets, wood houses and a beautiful mood, even more in the rain. I would stay quiet waiting for them to arrive, the geiko / maiko, always walking extremely fast on their toe tips.

My first glimpse was on the first day, I saw several camera flashes being fired on the main street, turned around and there she was, like an animal hunted by western tourists. Yes, there’s a way to capture more interesting images of geiko / maiko during the day as several japanese ladies can rent proper clothes to wander around, but I wasn’t looking for a puppet show, I wanted the real deal, a shot at a world that I actually do not understand but feels magical to my eyes. I would usually saw them on both ends of the main street, catching a taxi or on the narrow background streets entering some guest house where japanese businessman and ladies with kimono would be waiting.

On my last night I finally was able to see her coming in my direction. I slowly approached, said good night and asked her if I could take a photo. She pleasantly smiled, like all japanese do, with a few more words that unfortunately I didn’t understand. I did my thing while she quickly disappeared from my sight, but that contact was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

Without further discussions, here are a few of the images that better illustrate my mind. In a few weeks I’ll set up a proper gallery for this story as well as a multimedia piece, so pay attention.

Lanterns in Kyoto. Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 21mm, f/4, 1/25s, ISO 1600

Japanese taxi. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/2.8, 1/30s, ISO 6400

Taxi in Kyoto. Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 29mm, f/2.8, 1/20s, ISO 6400

Gion street by night. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 22mm, f/2.8, 1/40s, ISO 3200

Typical house in Gion. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/2.8, 1/50s, ISO 10000

Lanterns in Kyoto. Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 29mm, f/2.8, 1/50s, ISO 3200

Gion by night. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 16mm, f/2.8, 1/80s, ISO 6400

Man walking in a narrow corridor. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/2.8, 1/50s, ISO 6400

Lady with kimono and tabis. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/2.8, 1/80s, ISO 3200

Lady with a kimono entering an entertainment house in Kyoto. Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 31mm, f/2.8, 1/50s, ISO 12800

Salary man and woman wearing a kimono walking in Gion. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/2.8, 1/125s, ISO 12800

Geisha poster in Gion. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 170mm, f/2.8, 1/200s, ISO 3200

Geisha in Gion. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/2.8, 1/60s, ISO 12800

Geisha in Gion. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 70mm, f/4, 1/10s, ISO 3200

Geisha in Gion. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/2.8, 1/13s, ISO 3200

Geisha in Gion. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/9, 1/10s, ISO 6400

Curtain in Kyoto. Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 34mm, f/8, 1/50s, ISO 1600

Feb 21, 2013 | Categories: Culture, Japan, People | Tags: culture, geiko, geisha, gion, hidden, kyoto, maiko, mystic, night, people | Leave A Comment »

Fushimi Inari

So let me contrast a bit the look of the previous post. Fushimi Inari is an icon in Kyoto, and probably one of the most interesting Shinto shrines I visited and photographed in Japan. The main structure dates from 1499 and is accessible through a double-path of hundreds of Toriis.

In ancient times, Inari, the Shinto god of rice, was seen as a patron of business and people usually pray to it for wealth. Inari also gives name to the 233 meters tall mountain that includes long trails to several other small shrines along its slopes. Although we ventured a bit through the Torii gates into the mountain, it was already getting dark and raining a bit so we stayed most of the time on the two narrow Torii corridors closer to the main shrine. Fox statues are also abundant around the shrine as they are thought to be Inari’s messengers.

Japanese Ema at Fushimi Inari. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/4, 1/320s, ISO 1600

Gate at Fushimi Inari. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 170mm, f/2.8, 1/200s, ISO 800

Person walking in Fushimi Inari. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 165mm, f/16, 2s, ISO 1600

Fushimi Inari. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 16mm, f/16, 30s, ISO 400

Fushimi Inari. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 16mm, f/16, 15s, ISO 800

Person walking in Fushimi Inari. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 16mm, f/16, 5s, ISO 200

Feb 12, 2013 | Categories: Culture, Japan, People | Tags: culture, fushimi inari, japan, kyoto, people, religion, shinto, shrine | Leave A Comment »

Arashiyama

Arashiyama was elected by the japanese government as an Historic Site and a Place of Scenic Beauty, meaning that this was indeed a place to visit. The proximity to Kyoto makes it a worthwhile half-day trip.

The main attraction in Arashiyama has to be Tenryu-ji Zen Buddhist temple and the adjacent bamboo forest. I must confess I was much more impressed by the forest over the images I saw on the internet. In reality there is a path to walk between the forest but one is not allowed to enter the woods and the path should be less and than half a kilometer. Luckily, or not, it was raining a lot! I have a love/hate relationship with shooting in the rain. The logistics are horrible, the gear and I usually get all soaked up, but the images tend to be much more powerful…and different than usual.

I brought the tripod with me but decided not to use it this time and just put my tele on and went for an intimate view of the forest.

Gir walking in Arashiyama bamboo forest. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 70mm, f/2.8, 1/320s, ISO 3200

Umbrella in Arashiyama bamboo forest. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/2.8, 1/250s, ISO 3200

In this next image I wanted to give an impression of the woods but still noticing that the trees were bamboo.

Arashiyama bamboo forest. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 70mm, f/22, 0.3s, ISO 3200

The temple has a beautiful zen garden, a lake and large colorful trees in this time of the year. Inside, the place is really relaxing and it’s easy to see people sitting down chatting or just enjoying the view into the lake and the mountains.

Tenryu-ji temple garden view. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 25mm, f/8, 1/125s, ISO 1600

People watching Tenryu-ji temple zen garden. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 160mm, f/4, 1/250s, ISO 1600

Paintings in Tenryu-ji temple. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/2.8, 1/50s, ISO 3200

Outside the temple I also went for some details using a fast shutter speed to freeze the rain in the images.

Tenryu-ji temple. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 140mm, f/8, 1/200s, ISO 500

Tenryu-ji temple. Kyoto, Japan
Canon 5DIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/4, 1/500s, ISO 800

Jan 28, 2013 | Categories: Culture, Japan, People | Tags: arashiyama, buddhism, culture, forest, japan, nature, people, temple, tenryu-ji | Leave A Comment »

Kyoto – Jidai Matsuri

Jidai Matsuri – Festival of the Ages is one of the three largest festivals in Kyoto, occurring each year on October 22nd. This was the day that Kyoto was established as the capital of Japan in the year 794. Nonetheless, the festival celebrates the founding of Heian-jingu Shrine, the place where the procession ends after having crossed several streets.

The festival features a procession of several hundred marchers dressed in typical costumes from the various periods of Japan’s history. Along the procession, that lasts around 2h30 there’s an history lesson explaining what’s behind each group of characters. Unfortunately, since I don’t speak japanese, I didn’t understand more than a couple of words.

Since it was one of our goals to attend and photograph the festival, the previous day we walked the entire procession route, from the Old Imperial Palace to Heian-jingu Shrine in search of the best place while keeping in mind the daytime and the sun’s position. Although the place we picked wasn’t perfect, it was probably the best we could get. We arrived a couple of hours early to get our spot and soon the street filled up. Police wouldn’t allow anyone actually stepping on the street, only on the pavement, and so we were a bit limited to the kind of images we could take. That said, all is not lost, and here are some of the images I got from the festival.