Jeffrey E.F. Friedl's Blog, page 25

Cycling with Manu and Manseki to Osaka Castle and Back

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 31mm — 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Manu Mohan

at Osaka Castle, after having cycled 54km from Kyoto

Manu Mohan and Manseki Kanemitsu joined me on light ride to Osaka Castle
and back. It was my first ride with Manu since we tackled Seryo Pass
three months ago.

Manu's bike is a folding commuter bike, which is not really appropriate
for “real” cycling. It's too small for him and the range of gears is
limited, but the ride to Osaka is not challenging except for its length. The round trip is more than 100km.

His rear tire seemed a bit low on air, something that would rob him of
speed and power. If he had a normal road bike we'd be able to use our pumps
to fill it, but his commuter bike used a different kind of tire valve, so
we planned to look for a bike shop when we got to town.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Roadside Service

Takuya Kawasumi, owner of Whoo bicycles in Kyoto, lends a hand

Coincidentally we crossed paths with Takuya Kawasumi returning from a
ride. He owns a bike shop and had a pump that could work; he kindly
filled Manu's tire. Talk about service! Thanks Takuya.

A bit later we stopped for a short rest under the cherry trees at the
entrance of a wonderful park that I wrote about eight years ago in “Cherry Blossoms in
the Middle of Three Rivers”. I've been meaning to go back... must make
a note to do so next spring.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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taken while cycling at 24 kph (15 mph)

There's a nice cycle path running the bulk of the way between Kyoto and
Osaka. I wrote about it a couple of months ago in “Cycling Along the River from
Kyoto To Osaka Castle” so I won't repeat it all here, but in summary it's
safe, often pretty, and usually interesting.

... except for the stupid gates that are supposed to let bicycles pass
without letting motorcycles pass. As I wrote in the post linked in the previous paragraph, I hate these gates.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 46mm — 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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I was shocked when Manu just lifted his feet and sailed through without touching his feet to the ground nor the gate.
That takes guts!

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 37mm — 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Almost Half Way

though Manu doesn't know that at the time

taken while cycling at 23 kph (14 mph)







Panasonic LX100 at an effective 32mm — 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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View From Above

view from a flood-control berm well above the path (which is beyond the golf course)

taken while cycling at 16 kph (10 mph)








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 35mm — 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Vintage Manseki

Manseki's bike for the day was a classic race
bike from the 1980s, and he wore a helmet in the style of the same era, so
he wanted a photo that sort of captured the
vintage look. Maybe I overdid it a bit?

You can see the bike more clearly in this post
about my first 100km ride five months ago.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 72mm — 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Approaching Osaka

taken while cycling at 22 kph (14 mph)







Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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The 50km Mark

taken while cycling at 20 kph (13 mph)







Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Along a River in the City

taken while cycling at 22 kph (14 mph)

A lot of folks we passed, like the lady in the photo above, wore
full-face masks. It used to be only sun-shy women did, but a lot of men
were wearing them now. It might be to avoid the sun, and perhaps could be
some kind of defense against allergies, but in any case it's a bit
weird.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Another Approach to Sunscreen

taken while cycling at 21 kph (13 mph)







Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Arriving at Osaka Castle

10:31 AM (from start: 3h 8m / 53 km / 33.0 miles)

It was an impressive feat for a bike like that, especially since it's
way too small for him. As you see in all these photos, he has to ride
hunched over.

After a short rest at Osaka Castle, we turned around to go home, but first stopped
by a bike shop to check why Manu's tire was slowly going flat again.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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It turns out that the tire valve was bent. Cycling is a sport for the rich; it cost Manu 100 yen (US$0.80) to have it replaced.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 25mm — 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Returning to the Yodogawa River

which will be our home for the next 49km back home

This was my first time to return from Osaka along the river. I suppose it depends on the day,
but today the headwind was strong and noticeably slowed us down. I suppose we must have had a tail
wind on the way down that I didn't notice, but we all certainly noticed the headwind.

The headwind and the hot sun conspired to keep us pretty slow, but Manu always had a smile.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/2000 sec, f/8, ISO 200 —
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Only 42km To Go

taken while cycling at 19 kph (12 mph)

Almost two and a half hours later...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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100km!

taken while cycling at 20 kph (12 mph)

Manseki had a slow leak that he was hoping to avoid dealing with until he got home, but near home he had
to stop to put some air in it...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Minor Maintenance







Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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I'm Supervising

photo by Manu Mohan

A bit farther on, Manseki turned off to head to his home. It was Manseki's first ride
with Manu, so Manu got a special goodbye...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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“Great Ride”

I knew we were back in Kyoto when I started to see ladies in kimono along the river...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 35mm — 1/320 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
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taken while cycling at 22 kph (14 mph)

Overall
the ride was 108.6km,
and is Manu's longest ride.... so far.

Mini Review: Axgio Bluetooth Wireless Sports Headphones

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/16, ISO 5000 —
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Axgio Sprint Bluetooth Headphones

A month and a half ago I got an email out of the blue asking whether I'd
like to have a free pair of wireless bluetooth
headphones in exchange for a review on my blog.
Well gee, sure, why not?! It's cheap advertising for them if I like them,
but they risk bad PR if I don't.

In the past I'd tried small wireless headphones from Avantree, ECSEM,
and Mpow before finding a pair I liked, “BlueAnt Pump”. I was happy with
those, but figured it wouldn't hurt to give another pair a try.

So, I was sent a pair of Axgio Sprint Wireless
Earbuds. I use the passive voice here because
I don't actually know who the person sending them
represents (they have a nondescript gmail
address), but I assume it's either the maker or
their American distributor. (Update:: after I published this, he contacted me to let me know
he's from Axgio's marketing department.)

Anyway, I've been using them for the last month and I
like them a lot, so their risk paid
off.

Generally speaking, wireless headphones are the way to go when on the
move. I use them when working out at the gym and
when doing housework. (I never, by the way, use headphones of any kind when
riding a bike on public roads.) I generally use them with my phone in my
pocket or in my nearby gym bag. In either way, no
wires to get in the way.

Specifically about these Axgio Sprint headphones, two items that caught my attention:

Size — Ridiculously light and insubstantial. It's not that the other units
I tried were problematically big or bulky, but these are really small and light, both while warn
and carried in a pocket.

English Feedback — Responses to events like being
turning on, pairing, hitting maximum volume, etc., are indicated with an
English voice in the headphones. Other units I've used employ a series of
various beeps that are difficult (for me) to keep straight.

With this Axgio unit, upon pressing the main button long enough to turn
it on, you hear “Power On”, then “Connected”. Raising the volume to the max
yields “Maximum Volume”, and when put into pairing mode, you're told
“Pairing”, etc.

This is really convenient and you're never left wondering what happened,
or whether something you tried to do actually happened. With other units
it's easy enough to understand the various beep patterns when you're
reading the manual, but I can never remember them
when I actually need them. The Axgio's simple
English feedback is wonderful. I find it
especially useful for things that I really want
to be sure are done, such as “Power Off”, and for things that don't happen often, such as
“Battery Low”.

When turning on to use with my iPhone, the connection is usually
almost instant, with “Power On” followed by “Connected” in the same second.
This is much faster than the BLueAnt Pump connects for me.

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO 6400 —
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Bendy

the thicker part of the wire holds whatever shape you give; the rest is supple

It did take a bit before I could wear them correctly. Like the BlueAnt
Pump that had been my primary earbuds, they wrap around the earlobe so that
they're held in place during exercise and the like, but it took me a while to realize that unlike the BlueAnt Pump, you're
meant to conform the wire to a shape that works
for you. Not realizing this, I
tried to make do with the shape that they came in, and it just
wasn't right. I didn't realize that the wire is
meant to be actively bent to find a good fit.

Considering that the Amazon listing includes the phrase “Memory Wire” in the
title, this was my fault. I figured it out on the
second or third day I had them, and things were
much smoother after that. I also would have figured it out earlier had I
read the manual.

It comes with a bunch of ear-bud inserts for different sized ears, but
I haven't tried them... the ones that came
installed on the unit work just fine for me.

I tested them with my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro. They worked
flawlessly on the first two, but I've never been able to get a bluetooth speaker/headphone to work well with my
MacBook Pro. This is a well-known problem with
Apple's laptops, and considering how long the problem has persisted (many
generations of hardware), it's clear Apple just doesn't care. )-:

I actually did get a good connection with my MacBook Pro the first time
I tried, but the sound seemed to be quieter than
I thought it should have been. But on subsequent attempts, it wouldn't hold a connection.

But as I said, it works just dandy with my iPhone and iPad. I use it mostly with my iPhone.

Like most bluetooth earbuds on the market it allows you to make and
receive phone calls when paired to a phone, but
I haven't tested that. No one
calls me.

According to the manual it can actually pair to two devices at once (so
that you can hear sound from two devices at once, I
guess), but I haven't tested that.

The text in the printed manual is gratuitously small; I can read it when wearing my reading glasses, but it
would have been nice if they just made the font a
bit bigger. (I asked for and was sent
a PDF copy of the manual.) The text on the
outside of the box is even smaller, and I can't
read it even with reading glasses.

Nikon D4 + Venus 60mm Super Macro f/2.8 — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 320 —
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Control Buttons

easy to find by feel alone

The control buttons are another thing I really like compared to others
I've tried. The little control unit is always hanging lightly a bit below
the ear, and the main control button is always at the bottom of that, so
finding it is always easy and deterministic, with good tactile feedback.

A long press turns it on if it's off and off if it's on (with
accompanied “Power On” and “Power Off” status messages). While playing
music it pauses or unpauses.

The other buttons are for volume up/down with short taps, or
next/previous song with long taps. I actually wish these were reversed
because I skip songs more than I set volume. The Mpow earbugs that I used
to use were like this and I found it convenient.

As I said above, they are very light and there's no pull from the weight
of the wire on your ear, but depending on your clothes and hair, really
active movement can cause the wire to drag on your neck and sort of tug at
the ear. This is pretty rare for me, but in these cases you can avail
yourself of the little clip on the wire seen in the background of the photo below:

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/11, ISO 5600 —
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By using the clip to snug the wire firmly to your skull, there's no pull
as you whip your head around. It's a simple and elegant solution to an
occasional problem.

Two minor nits that I came across, besides the tiny fonts in their printing:

The hook shape of the wire causes them
to get hooked on things when pulling them from my gym bag, so I have to be a bit careful. I don't recall having
had this kind of problem with the other units I've used.

The unit doesn't seem to turn off automatically if the sound has
been paused for a while. The manual says that it turns off automatically if
there's no bluetooth connection for five minutes, but I think at least some
other units I've used turn off if there's no sound for a while, even if the
connection remains. With those units, I can just pause the music and put
the headphones away; I don't have to bother actually turning the unit off.
With this Axgio unit I have to remember to actually turn the unit
off.

Sound Quality

Having written this much, I realize that I've not talked about sound
quality. I'm not an audiophile, so fine details are likely lost on me, but
I've not been the least bit disappointed in listening to music that I've
known intimately for years. Whether some old Billy Joel, some modern light
acoustic guitar, some rough Black Eyed Peas, some electronic Daft Punk, or
heavy AC/DC, I've been pleased with the sound. It's clear, substantial, and
full of “presence”.

I've also used them to listen to Japanese news broadcasts while doing
the dishes, and found voices to be equally clear, so I'd assume they'd be
good for phone calls.

But to provide a bit of due diligence, I've just compared these Axgio
wireless headphones to some brand new over-the-ear wired Sony MDR-V6 studio-monitor
headphones. I've used this model of headphone for the better part of 30
years, having to buy a new pair on average once a decade due to some
mistake on my part or another. My previous pair got damaged in my luggage
on my recent summer trip, so I immediately bought another pair.

Anyway, the Sony headphone are very good and are popular with
professional sound engineers and were highly rated at Consumer Reports
(which is probably why I bought them in the first place), so I wouldn't
expect the literally-lighter-than-a-feather Axgio wireless in-ear
headphones to fare well in direct comparison, but they did. The Sony headphones do seem to have better base response, but I noticed this only
during direct comparison switching back and forth between the two sets of
headphones; when using the Axgio headphones on a daily basis, I'd not noticed anything lacking.

Overall, a nice pair of wireless sports
headphones, all the nicer because I got them for free. If I lost them or
something, though, I'd spend the $50 or whatever for a new pair, which
perhaps says the most about them.

Having completed this review I think I'm ready to try again... if Tesla or Nikon or Apple, for example, would like a review of
their most recent product, just send one or a dozen units over and I'll be
happy to give'em a try....

Bridget and Sarah’s Tour-du-Kyoto, Part 1

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 44mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Sarah and Bridget

and their new friend with slightly creepy eyes

in Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

A couple of Aussies on a cycling vacation in Japan contacted the Cycling Kyoto!
group on Facebook looking for interesting rides in the area. A group of us
ended up going on two rides in two days with
Sarah Knights
and
Bridget Slocum, hard-core amateur
cyclists that compete on the national level in Australia.

As it turns out, they're also fun people.

Manseki
Kanemitsu and I met the girls near their hotel and moved across town
toward the mountains to the west, picking up folks along the way....

DMC-SZ9 at an effective 26mm — 1/400 sec, f/3.1, ISO 100 —
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Picking Up Kumiko

me, Kumiko Naka, Sarah, and Bridget

photo by Manseki Kanemitsu

After also picking up Mone Sakura, we headed toward the Arashiyama area of Kyoto, past
Hirosawa Lake...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 37mm — 1/16000 sec, f/2.4, ISO 200 —
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Scenic Scarecrows

taken while cycling at 30 kph (19 mph)










Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/12800 sec, f/1.7, ISO 200 —
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Unprecedented

The first time (since I started cycling in the spring) to be on a ride with this many ladies

taken while cycling at 23 kph (14 mph)

Some of the photos above have that “overprocessed” look, because they're
overprocessed. I'm still not comfortable with my new cycling camera and
find it all too easy to bump the settings out of whack without realizing
it, so these photos were all wildly underexposed. It's only through the
magic of shooting raw
and compensating in Adobe
Lightroom that I could recover anything. The HDR-ish look can get old
very quickly, but can perhaps be cool in moderation.

After leaving the city there's an immediate short but intense
climb to Rokucho Pass (750m at an average grade of 10%). I was happy to
have made a new PR, and Bridget took the QOM (“Queen of the Mountain”
— the fastest female recorded at Strava for a segment), her first of
many. The comparable achievement for men is, of course, “KOM”.   I don't have any.

This hill is followed by a short descent of epic twisties. I went down early to
try to set up for some shots of the others coming down, upon which I discovered the
aforementioned camera-setting issues. I was in the process of trying to fix them
when Sarah came barreling down, so I screwed up the shot. So, again, I rely on
some overprocessing to try to eke out a result...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 30mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.2, ISO 800 —
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Saved by the Smile

the photographic quality is “Meh”, but the smile makes the photo

As far as “recovery processing” goes, on technical level I had better
luck with this shot of
Manseki a few months ago.

With the blotchy sunshine splattering through the trees, it probably
wasn't the best choice of a spot to begin with. The blotchy sunshine creates trouble for the camera, but did create a wonderful mood for the ride...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 —
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Light Mountain Climb








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Above Japan-Rail Hozukyo Station

where we're going to meet Eric Findlay

JR保津峡駅の上








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 35mm — 1/500 sec, f/4, ISO 200 —
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The Gang's All Here

Kumiko, Sarah, Bridget, Mone, Eric, Manseki

at JR Hozukyo Station (JR保津峡駅), Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

The plan was to ride north to the quaint village of Miyama, essentially
repeating this June ride
with Gorm. From the train station the road rises in a long climb up and
around Mt. Atago. Mone had to be back in Kyoto early, so she returned after
the climb, while the rest of us continued north.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/1000 sec, f/4, ISO 200 —
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The Rice Crop Looks Ready for Harvest

taken while cycling at 44 kph (27 mph)

the harvest will make for photogenic trips later this month









Panasonic LX100 at an effective 35mm — 1/200 sec, f/4, ISO 200 —
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Sarah Likes Flats and Downhills

taken while cycling at 25 kph (16 mph)

(I had to hold her back for the photo op. Sorry Sarah.)








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 35mm — 1/200 sec, f/4, ISO 200 —
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taken while cycling at 25 kph (16 mph)








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 35mm — 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Camera Assistant








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
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Cyclist's Friend

I missed most of what Manseki explained about this statue next to the
Hiyoshi Shrine, but it had a bunch of stuff for cyclists, including a log
book for visitors that Sarah is writing in. Behind the statue were a few
bicycle-related things one could use like chain oil. I'm not sure what it's
all doing there, but it made for a fun photo op.

DMC-SZ9 at an effective 30mm — 1/250 sec, f/3.3, ISO 200 —
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photo by Manseki Kanemitsu








DMC-SZ9 at an effective 58mm — 1/160 sec, f/4.2, ISO 100 —
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photo by Manseki Kanemitsu








DMC-SZ9 at an effective 30mm — 1/250 sec, f/3.3, ISO 200 —
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photo by Manseki Kanemitsu

The statue is next to the Hiyoshi Shrine (日吉神社), which is also good for a photo op...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 —
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Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 —
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Road Block

The road is closed, but bicycles can probably get by. We'll find out.

I think this descent on Route 477 is one of the most beautiful descents in Kyoto,
comparable to the southwestern descent from Mochikochi Pass. Just beautiful and relaxing
(so long, at least, as no one crashes).

Unfortunately, it started to rain lightly (we hit the unlucky 10% on a
day with a 10% chance of rain), so we had to take it particularly slowly, but
it's just as well because with the road being closed to traffic, sticks and
other debris had accumulated more than normally.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/4, ISO 3200 —
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Panasonic LX100 at an effective 30mm — 1/40 sec, f/4, ISO 3200 —
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taken while cycling at 16 kph (10 mph)








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 30mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.2, ISO 2000 —
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“Not Yet”

My answer to “Have you ever crashed while photographing backwards while riding?”

taken while cycling at 21 kph (13 mph)

I held them back with the camera for long enough, and they took off...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 25mm — 1/400 sec, f/1.8, ISO 200 —
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Off Like a Shot

taken while cycling at 40 kph (25 mph)

The rain got stronger so I stopped under a tree to put the camera into a
waterproof bag, but first waited to snap shots of Kumiko and Eric...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 43mm — 1/100 sec, f/2.5, ISO 320 —
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Panasonic LX100 at an effective 65mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 —
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It was my first ride with Eric since the long ride to Obama at the
start of the summer where he got two flat tires. As we road together lazily
downhill, I made the mistake of asking whether he'd had any flats since.

Big mistake on my part for disturbing the wa of the tire gods...
literally 15 seconds after his answer of “No, none at all since then”,
his tire suddenly deflated with an insistent hissing.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 70mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1000 —
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Not Again!








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 49mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.7, ISO 1250 —
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Getting Out of the Loggers' Way








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/1.7, ISO 3200 —
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Why The Street Was Closed

this short section was cordoned off on both sides, for reasons that remain a mystery

We hoped our troubles would be behind us after making it past the silly
closed off area, but the unexpected rain and Eric's flat were just the beginning.

To be continued...

Visiting Horseshoe Bend in Arizona

Nikon D4 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/9, ISO 100 —
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Dizzying

my knees feel weak just looking at it

Horseshoe Bend, Page Arizona

It's been half a year since our vacation brought us to Horseshoe
Bend in Page Arizona, so I guess it's time to finally post some
pictures.

Just like the stunning
Antelope Canyon that we visited earlier in the day, from afar the place
looks like nothing special...

Nikon D4 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 150mm — 1/2000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 —
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Path From the Parking Lot

Being a desert, there's sand (very fine powdery sand) everywhere. A path through it leads from the parking lot
up a long rise. Here's a photo from about halfway up, looking back:

Nikon D4 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100 —
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Looking Back at the Parking Lot

a dusty splotch of asphalt in the middle of nothing








Nikon D4 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 100 —
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Up Into the Unknown

When you crest the hill, you see pretty much what you saw everywhere else, except for the addition
of a big hole:

Nikon D4 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/7.1, ISO 125 —
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First Glimpse

for scale, note the dozens of people in the foreground

What's notably lacking are the normal trappings of a tourist
attraction... other than a sign at the parking lot warning of the trek
(slippery sand, lack of water, lack of shade), a well-worn path to follow,
and a small gazebo at the high point of the trek to offer the elderly a
place to rest, there's nothing manmade. No railings, no refreshment stands,
no incessant signs warning of danger and admonishing “don't do this” and
disclaiming “no responsibility for that”.

It was wonderful.

The path seemed to be little more than a rough suggestion, so rather than follow it with
the crowds of people, I made my own path toward the left edge of the hole.

Nikon D4 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/2000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 —
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They're Following the Path








Nikon D4 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125mm — 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 —
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Interesting Rocks Everywhere

As I approached The Big Hole, the lack of signage was eerie. Nothing
warning me to stay away from the edge, nothing warning me that there
was an edge. It was 100% natural like it probably was 10,000 years
ago.

Luckily I still knew how to wield some personal responsibility, and I
did not die. Here's the first picture I took when I got there:

Nikon D4 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/13, ISO 140 —
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Big Hole is Too Big

for my 24mm lens

It's a stunning view, and it's very far down. If you fell, screaming the
whole way, those left above would no longer be able to hear you by the time
you hit bottom. (This may or may not be comforting to know.)

The dark corners in the picture are from the polarizer filter, or more
specifically, from the XUME magnetic filter holder I'm using. I like to be
able to take the filter off easily, so I often use magnetic holders, but it
makes the filter stick out and cause vignetting that's most noticeable when
shooting at smaller apertures like above.

I often crop out the dark corners, but I leave them there this time to show what I did with the photo. I made a sort-of-haphazard sweeping motion and shot a bunch more pictures, and gave them to Lightroom's
“Photo Merge” and, and without further input from me it did a pretty good job slapping them all together:

Nikon D4 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/13, ISO 180 —
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Panorama Made From

10 poorly-planned shots

I shouldn't really say “poorly planned” because that implies that there
was any planning at all. If I'd given it any thought, I would have
increased the coverage a lot. As it is, I left lots of blank areas, which
makes a reasonable crop difficult. I did a crop, and touched up one
seam I noticed in the sky, and here we are:

Nikon D4 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/13, ISO 180 —
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Was Worth a Try

but next time I'll just bring a wide-angle lens

One could see boats moving on the river...

Nikon D4 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 125 —
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Anthony eventually came over to join me, at which point the lack of
railings suddenly became much more important, and I was wishing I'd left
him duct-taped to the camper. Nothing gets a parent's complete and
undivided attention like danger to their child. But it's dangerous only if you're
stupid or foolish, so I just made sure we were both amply cautious.

Nikon D4 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/13, ISO 125 —
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That's Close Enough

I'm slightly uneasy even looking at it in the photo









Nikon D4 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/1000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 —
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Thinking Big
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The way he's lying down in the photo above does not trigger my
twisted-gut feeling, probably because it doesn't bother me to do it myself. But sitting or standing close gives me the willies.

In this next shot, he's not really very close, though I suppose it looks it.

Nikon D4 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/2000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 —
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Eventually I started to make my way to where people were...

Nikon D4 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/2000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 —
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Nikon D4 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135mm — 1/640 sec, f/14, ISO 1250 —
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Like Ants

To be continued...

Scoping Out Portraiture Locations with Eric and Gigi at the Kiyomizu Temple

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125mm — 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 560 —
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Moody Kiyomizu

Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto Japan

清水寺
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San Francisco friends Eric and Gigi are in town again. We last saw them
earlier in the year buying
a Kimono and playing
in the snow. Yesterday they made a visit to the Kiyomizu Temple, and I
popped over to join them.

It was a Monday, but the place was crazy crowded like during a
high-season weekend. The economy must really be doing better.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 130mm — 1/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 —
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Approach

one of the streets leading to the temple








Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 98mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 125 —
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Entrance Gate

Eric and Gigi like to shoot portraiture, and the challenge in a setting
8like this is to find places and angles that omit the crowd, yet still lend
a feeling of the location. As we instinctively moved away from the main
gate, I saw two ladies in kimono taking a picture, and immediately felt the
location held promise...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 —
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I felt that the top of the steps where the photographer was standing was the place for the subject,
with a rich green background devoid of people if you got the camera low enough to the ground.

Soon Eric and Gigi were photographing one of the ladies...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 —
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Gigi With The Camera

(Unfortunately I didn't get the camera low enough to the ground for this shot to omit the people down below.)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 —
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Showing the Result








Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 125 —
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My Own Results

cute little girl toddles

Moving on to other parts of the temple grounds, we found a little bridge
next to the hustle and bustle of the crowds that seemed to be amenable to a
shot...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 105mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250 —
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The trouble was finding an angle to omit stuff from the backgrounds like
people, toilets, orange traffic cones, trash cans, etc. I think there was
exactly one such angle, and I found it in the shot above.

Moving inside the temple to its famous observation deck...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 180mm — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 900 —
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One Way to a Better Background

selfie sticks were in great abundance, but not a great annoyance

Once those two ladies moved on, Gigi posed there for a bit. It was crowded with people, but every once in a while there would be a few seconds
in the clear...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 98mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 560 —
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Laughing at the Absurdity

of whatever I'd just said

Across the way is another pagoda, which has apparently received a coat of paint sometime recently...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135mm — 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3600 —
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Mountain Pagoda

清水寺の泰産寺
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This photo of the same pagoda taken in 2008 shows quite a different look.

Here's a picture of Gigi and Eric with the temple sticking out of their
head (but, you'll notice, no one else in the background)...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 98mm — 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1400 —
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The short moment that no one was near them seemed fleeting enough that I
didn't want to chance the time to reposition myself to put the pagoda off
to the side.

What the railing they're standing at normally looked like...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 —
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Typical Scene








Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1000 —
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Back-Area Paths

entrance to a sub-shrine, and path to a mountain-hike exit

Toward the rear of the temple grounds is a sub shrine that garnered a lot of visitors,
with many folks stopping to take photos in front of the stairs seen at left in the picture above.

My eyes, however, immediately gravitated to the essentially-ignored path
to the right (it leads to a
hiking trail exit). The stonework on the path might make a nice
background, I thought.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600 —
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Standing In

so I can check out the angles

After actually giving it a try, I abandoned the idea of using the ground
as the background, but instead took advantage of the stone and moss just to
the side...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 82mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1100 —
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Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 150mm — 1/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1800 —
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We eventually moved on to where one can get the quintessential view of the temple
(like this,
also seen
here and
here). In doing so, we were hapily greeted
by this unknown couple...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 —
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Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 95mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 320 —
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(Their friend, taking a photo of them with an iPad, was next to me.)

It was threatening rain all day, but none materialized while we were out.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/9, ISO 200 —
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A girl asked Eric to snap a photo of her with her phone — not an
uncommon request to a passer by — but she got more than she bargained
for. Eric was in portraiture mode, she got the whole “tilt your head this
way...” posing direction. She was surprised, but enjoyed it.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 78mm — 1/320 sec, f/9, ISO 2200 —
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Impromptu Fashion Shoot









Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 80mm — 1/320 sec, f/9, ISO 2200 —
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Down Below

Near the popular
place where you get water with a cup on the end of a lone pole, I noticed another
spot that might make a good oasis-among-the-crowds spot. There's a looooong staircase
that ends there... here's a photo of it from 2008:

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 at an effective 25mm — 1/45 sec, f/4.5, ISO 320 —
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Long Staircase at the Kiyomizu Temple

this photo is from 2008

In this photo from 2008, the railing on the right is metal. But during the visit yesterday, the railing on the right had been replaced by one made
of stone, to match the railing on the left. Combined with the rocky/mossy
background, I thought the location had promise...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 102mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 —
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Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 —
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After leaving the temple, we made the short stroll over to Camellia Tea Ceremony to take a peek. I'm not sure how Eric and Gigi came to know about it, but the owner has
been an acquaintance since long before she opened this tea-ceremony
business, so I wanted to say “hi”. Unfortunately she wasn't there at the
time, but her staff was kind enough to show us around.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 75mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250 —
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Slippery When Wet

I remembered another nice oasis-among-the-crowds spot in this area from
this blog post two years
ago, and though the light was fading as a brooding evening started to
take hold, they gave it a try with a few shots...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 80mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2500 —
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As I waited, a couple of ladies taking a rest nearby smiled for my lens...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2000 —
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Finally on the way back to my scooter, this young kid caught my eye, and I his (hers?) as his (her?)
dad carried him (her?) like a sack of potatoes....

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 75mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 —
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Cute Potatoes

Riding Clipped In: Baptism By Fire, But Feeling Well Satisfied

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/50 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1600 —
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Raging Stream

Small stream runs bit more vigorously after the storms

Having done a short excursion riding while clipped to
the pedals, yesterday I set off on a longer mountain ride
to really give them a workout.

昨日のサイクリングは、特別靴を使って、靴とペダルは繋がったままに乗りました。

I didn't have any trouble at the beginning, except at the very beginning
when it took me about 10 seconds of trying to clip in before I realized that I hadn't
taken the cleat covers (to make walking down to the bike easier) off. Doh!

The ride ended up being
54km (33mi) with 1190m (3,900') of elevation gain. This is pretty mild for me, but
it was my first real ride in more than a month, so I was happy to take it easy to
shake off the cobwebs.

Once I got into the steeper climbs, I could definitely feel an advantage
to the shoes... energy that I had apparently been using to keep my feet
squarely on the pedals was now available on the upstroke to help propel me
forward. I wasn't trying to do this... I could just feel it happen
naturally.

We had some pretty intense storms blow through recently, so the
mountains were pregnant with water. All the rivers were raging and so they were
beautiful and they made a nice cool breeze, but the water flowing from the
mountain at all sides made the roads wet and slippery.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 49mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.7, ISO 200 —
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Swimming Upstream

cascades of water flow down the street

For normal roads, this “wet and slippery” was an issue only when going
down a steep grade, and didn't really matter otherwise except for getting
me wet. I mention this to foreshadow that I eventually moved to roads so
abnormally-steep that my wheels were slipping even when going up slowly.
But that's later.

Anyway, the first climb of the day was 350m to Kyomi Pass, then down
through the mountains and up another 150m to Mochikoshi Pass. Just over that pass comes
a nice place to rest and see a little village down in the valley below...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200 —
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The View Yesterday

without my polarizer filer )-:

昨日の景色、偏光フィルターなしで。きれいではない。

This photos just screams “HEY, YOU FORGOT YOUR POLARIZER FILTER MORON!”, because I did.
I've posted many examples of how a polarizer filter can help bring out the true color of something,
such as this post last year, so I should know better.

So to make amends, I'll dip into my photo archives from the only other time I rode this route, when
I did have the polarizer...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
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View With a Polarizer

from last June

偏光フィルター有り（６月の写真）








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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That ride on June 4th was with Gorm and Kumiko.

Because Gorm has returned to Norway it's been too long since we've seen his smile, so here it is from that trip...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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We Miss You Gorm

The short ride down the eastern side from Mochikoshi Pass is really steep (upwards of 14% at times), so I took it
very slowly, using only my rear brake. Being clipped into the pedals was on my mind, as I wouldn't be able to
quickly compensate for any kind of slip. It was iffy once or twice, but I made it down in one piece.

Going back to the June ride, here's a shot of Gorm on a bridge at the bottom...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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From June

6月から

The original plan for yesterday was to do half of a “Heart Loop” ride, and
if so we would now head back toward Kyoto, but Sakura-san was in the mood
to do more climbing and to explore new roads, so we headed farther up into
the mountains, on a road that I'd also taken last June.

It was a particularly pretty road last June, I thought...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 65mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
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June / ６月

It started nice enough yesterday...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 38mm — 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400 —
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Yesterday / 昨日








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 25mm — 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 3200 —
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Abandoned Building

I wonder what it was

However, the deeper into the mountain, the worse the road got...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 49mm — 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 2500 —
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Typical Scene

Yesterday /　昨日








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1600 —
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Scarred Guardrail

scarred along the way from towering trees falling across it time and again








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 2000 —
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Runoff

gravel/dirt left on the road by recent massive rains








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200 —
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Very Rock-Strewn Area









Panasonic LX100 at an effective 50mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Steep Climb Last June

きつい坂登り

The last 1.7km (1 mile) of the climb averages a 10.5% grade, but at
times it's steeper, and with the wetness and general slippery-mossyness of
the road, it was quite precarious going up. For long stretches the drive wheel
would slip a bit with each downstroke of the pedal, before catching and
moving me a bit forward.

The ability of the wheel to grab the road was at the border between
“good grip” and “no grip”. If I were to hit a spot where the wheel fully
spun under the bike as I put my weight into pedaling down, my forward
movement would immediately stop and I'd have only a split second to put my
foot down to stop myself from toppling unceremoniously over.

I didn't necessarily have confidence that I could unclip my shoe from
the pedal as quickly as I might need, but I never found out... I made it to
the top.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/320 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200 —
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Nearing the Top

the road is a river

昨日、終点の手前









Panasonic LX100 at an effective 30mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 —
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End of the Line

pavement stops here / 車道の終わり

picture from June / ６月の写真

Where Gorm is standing in the photo above from last June is where I'm standing in this photo from
yesterday:

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 44mm — 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 3200 —
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Standing In a River

昨日、道の終点は川みたい









Panasonic LX100 at an effective 29mm — 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 250 —
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Sakura-san Swims Upstream

to join me at the top








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 29mm — 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 640 —
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Instagram Moment

We headed back down.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/160 sec, f/8, ISO 200 —
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Chestnuts Littering the Road

栗いっぱい








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 400 —
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“Artsy”








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 31mm — 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 200 —
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Not quite the same caliber of “artsy” as on the June ride. For example:

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 67mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 —
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Gorm

June / ６月








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 —
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Kumiko

June / ６月

Did I mention that the area can be really steep?

Here's a picture of Paul Barr in this area on a visit in 2011 that
produced “Deep
In The Mountains Above Kyoto’s Kumogahata Village” among others...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.8, ISO 640 —
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in the area in four years ago / この周辺、４年前

This is one of the few pictures where I think I captured a sense of the steepness. I'm not very good at that,
as I noted in another blog post from that day's outing, “A Photographic Challenge of Monumental Scale”.

In this next picture from about the same location looking down the road, you can see a side road leading off to the left....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/80 sec, f/4, ISO 1600 —
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I'd been wanting to explore what was on that road, so yesterday we did.

The road that leads off the “main” road starts over a bridge of suspect quality....

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 3200 —
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Bridge To Places Unknown

Then it goes up and up and up. Not only is it steeper than anything I'd yet done today,
at times the road was more or less washed out, leaving deep rocky haphazard ruts where the road should be.

As I'm slowly trying to power myself up this lunar landscape, I remind myself that if it gets too difficult
I can't just stop and stand up... I have to either keep going at all costs, or plan for the few moments needed to
unclip my foot from the pedal....

... or, I could just hit a deep rut that makes the bike go a different
way than momentum carries my body, and fall over into the mud. Yeah, that
sounds like the best option.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/40 sec, f/8, ISO 3200 —
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Oops

やっぱり倒れた。

Well, I wasn't planning on that.

I really wish I could capture just how steep this is. It looks like it's
flat in the photo above. Even in this next photo taken later, looking back
down after Sakura-san had walked her bike up and was now walking it back
down, it looks mostly flat...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/30 sec, f/10, ISO 3200 —
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I didn't want to give up so I got right back on and continued on up. I was a bit surprised that I could
clip in on the extreme slope. Perhaps it was more luck than not.

I continued for another 100m of vertical rise until the
steepness/slipperiness factor was just too much, and I gave up.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 40mm — 1/60 sec, f/8, ISO 1600 —
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Like a Frozen Slide

viewed from the bottom








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/60 sec, f/8, ISO 3200 —
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Crazy steep, but again, I just can't capture it.

I returned to where Sakura-san was waiting, and she snapped a photo for me...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/50 sec, f/8, ISO 1600 —
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Evidence of Fall #1

photo by Mone Sakura

We headed back toward Kyoto, but popped back up to Mochikoshi Pass. I
didn't want to push too much (more) on my first ride in a month, so I
headed home while she continued on.

Back in the city I seemed to have hit just about every red light. It made for good practice clipping in and out. Even though most times when the
light turned green I was able to clip in immediately on the first try, I was surprised every time I did it. I have the feeling that it'll be one of
those things that has good days and bad, and that yesterday was a good
day.

I wish I hadn't fallen, of course, but at the same time I feel a strange
sense of relief having fallen and not really hurt myself beyond a scratch.
Stress from the unknown has been taken away, a bit. As a bonus, no one was
around when I fell (it would be a minute or so before Sakura-san came
pushing her bike up), so it remains my dark little secret.

Gave The Cycling Shoes a Try; Wasn’t So Bad

iPhone 6 Plus iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at an effective 29mm — 1/120 sec, f/2.2, ISO 50 —
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Well, That Wasn't So Bad

今日は初めてちゃんとしたサイクリング用の靴を使って、美味く出来ました。倒れる心配は有りましたが、今日は倒れなかった。

After posting
“Trepidation and Anticipation: Moving Up to Cycling Shoes”
yesterday, I put the pedals on my bike and today I went out for a short
test ride with them.

It was much easier than I had feared.

After putting the pedals on yesterday, I tried mounting the bike
stationary in my house, and I had a lot of difficulty unclipping the shoes
from the pedals, so my fear of falling over went way up. But then it
was suggested that perhaps the bolts weren't tight enough, and indeed
that was the problem. Once I tightented things properly, it was easy to
clip out. Thanks Jason.

Still, with thoughts of slowly toppling over sideways on my mind, I
dressed “appropriately”, which in this case means comically. I put some
padded braces over my knees and then jeans, and wore padded winter gloves. Not quite the Michelin Man, but close enough.

I rode near home just to get a feel for them, stopping a number of times to readjust
the cleats. Once that was done, I felt comfortable clipping in and out, so moved on for a little ride.

One of the first things I did was a
little 50m (150') climb, just to get the feeling for the pedals on a
slope, both in and out of the saddle. I put a bit of effort into it, but
not too much. I could certainly tell it had been a month since I'd been on
the bike. Still, it turns out that I missed my PR by just three seconds, so that
bodes well.

I did a couple of other small climbs at a more relaxed pace,
then one final climb where I stopped and restarted over and over again,
inching my way up. I got pretty good at clipping in quickly and without looking,
so that also bodes well.

So, one day down without falling over. Good day. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Trepidation and Anticipation: Moving Up to Cycling Shoes

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2500 —
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Clips, Cleats, Pedals, and Shoes

oh my!

自転車用の靴、ペダル、クリート等

Since getting bit
by the cycling bug earlier in the year, I've been slowly inching my way
deeper into it. I took the opportunity of my recent trip back to The States
to buy some “real” cycling clothes in my hard-to-find-anywhere-but-particularly-in-Japan size,
and this includes for the first time real cycling shoes that firmly attach to the pedals.

Not many shoes come in European size 48 or 49 (cycling shoes seem to use
the same scale worldwide, which is really convenient), but I found and
ordered three pair at Zappos.com (which I'm always pleased
with) from three companies in sizes 48 and 49, and ended up keeping two.

The shoes are combined with cleats that bolt onto the bottom of the
shoe, and specialty pedals that the cleats clip into (which are quizzically
called “clipless”, even though you most certainly do clip into and out of
them; the term “clipless” arose to differentiate from the
old “toe cage” type of pedal which at the time had been inexplicably
called “clips”).

I'm quite apprehensive about the whole “strongly attached to the bike” thing, because if your foot is connected to the
pedal, you don't have it available to stand on should you suddenly need to
have a foot on the ground, and so you can easily
end up falling over if the need for a free foot arises more suddenly than
your ability to free your foot. I've seen it happen with others, even by
experienced riders who just couldn't unclip fast enough in that unexpected
split second when balance was lost while maneuvering at slow speed.

I've heard that there are two types of cyclists: those who have fallen as described above, and liars.

So, I'm posting this before I actually try them to document my ignorance
and apprehension, and later will compare how I feel after getting some
experience with them.

I mention “ignorance” because I'm naturally skeptical about their
benefits. Everyone I've talked to who uses them recommends them strongly,
and many friends from Cycling Kyoto!
encourage me to upgrade so that I can enjoy the benefits. The benefits include
both safety (“I
don't feel safe without them”), and mechanics... the ease and
efficiency of pedaling.

I do have trust that the accumulated wisdom of 200 years
probably trumps my ignorant assumptions based upon nothing more than
unfounded imagination, but that trust is academic, so I need to experience
it a bit to actually feel it, I guess.

So I will soon. I'll rewatch videos on how to set up the
clips and how to learn riding with
them. I'll probably fall over and hurt myself, hopefully not too much.
Maybe I'll dress up like the
Michelin man for protection. We'll see.

Once I acquire a “real” road bike (something scheduled later this
month), I'll move the new pedals to it and visit Vincent Flanagan for a
proper fitting, and hopefully then go on to make lots of personal bests
on my Strava.

Going forward, I suspect I'll still favor my own “style” (or
lack thereof,
as the case may be) for my cycling wear, but now that I have “proper”
cycling clothes, once everything is in place I'll try a full-on proper cyclist getup and report on it here.

Heading Into Antelope Canyon

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Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Moody

at Antelope Canyon, on Navajo land near Page, Arizona
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My three weeks in The States visiting my folks is about to end, so I
thought I'd post some photos from the previous trip in
March, where we drove around the American southwest in a camper. It was a bit overwhelming, and I've barely looked at the photos yet.

今日の記事は今回のアメリカへの旅行の事じゃなくて、三月の旅からの写真です。
その時にはキャップカーでアメリカ合衆国南西部にうるうろ行きました。写真写るが良い所が多いですが、一番良いのは
アンテロープ・キャニオンでした。

One of the most photogenic places on earth is
Antelope Canyon, near Page Arizona. I posted one photo from it at the time, here.

At first it doesn't seem promising, as the whole area is bleak and desolate...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 78mm — 1/2000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Bleak Surroundings

殺風景な周辺は嫌

Visits to the canyon are via tour only. We went with
this tour operator and were pleased with it. You meet at their office in downtown Page, Arizona, and before leaving to the canyon one of the guides performs
a hoop dance that was surprisingly interesting
and skillful. YouTube has a bunch of videos, such as this one,
showing the idea.

Then you get into the back of pickup trucks and they drive to the canyon, about ~10 minutes by road followed
by about five minutes at bumpy breakneck speed over the desert of fine dustlike sand...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/2000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 —
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Caravan Over the Desert

almost no bump was left untested

行く途中








Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 —
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Outside the Entrance

doesn't really look promising

入り口の外

It's an amazing transformation to step into the shadow from the bright
light, and in the moments that your eye adjusts, the magical views of the
smoothly curving walls envelops you.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 —
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Looking Straight Up

boring photo just inside the entrance

入ったばかり、完全に上向き。この写真は余り綺麗じゃないけれども、景色を記録します。

You've probably seen a bazillion photos from this place, all sort of the
same, all sort of different. It's a really really really photogenic place,
and even those haphazardly snapping with their cellphone will likely get
great photos to remember the place by.

But to a photographer it's utterly overwhelming because especially in a
target-rich place like this a photographer does not passively “take” a
photo, a photographer sees a never-ending continuum of results — some
better, some worse — and tries to engineer via position and exposure and timing
just the result they want. Probably I'm getting a bit melodramatic, but it's
a bit like Neo at the end of The Matrix, except that in this place
the sensory overload is more overwhelming.

The photo just above of the entrance documents what it looks like.
Here's another photo from almost the same location, looking at the same
scene from a slightly different angle....

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/40 sec, f/9, ISO 6400 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Just Inside the Entrance

less-boring view

この写真も入口に入ったばかり所で撮ったが、結果は奇麗だと思います。

前の写真とこの写真の差は一般者と撮影者の違いだと思います。
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An added challenge is to do all this within the constraints of the tour,
which means 1) there are people everywhere, and 2) the tour
must complete by a specific time and so moves along at a well-planned brisk
pace. Considerate photographers have the third constraint of realizing that
they are themselves the “people everywhere” for everyone else, and trying to
sense (and avert) when they are the only thing destroying someone else's shot.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/30 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 —
map & image data — nearby photos

The Reality

Multiple tours are coming and going at the same time, creating and ebb and flow of people.
“Patience” is perhaps not the right word considering the limited time one has, but some forethought,
some lingering, and a lot of luck can help...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 —
map & image data — nearby photos

So Close

人が多いので人なし写真はほとんど無理です。

So the low-hanging fruit of a clean shot is to aim up...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 —
map & image data — nearby photos
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... or zoom in...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/10 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Wall Detail

but I really wish I had my Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5
for its close-up sharpness
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Sometimes our tour guide would clear a small area and take a portrait for someone. She was really
skilled at people handling, and could do this quickly and without making folks feel bossed around. I suspect not all guides were as skillful at it.

Here's a wigglegram I took while someone
was having their portrait taken:

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Animatable Wigglegram (15 frames) — slowly sweep mouse from side to side to view 3D effect
写真の上をマウスで左右にゆっくり動かすと「３D」な感じが出ます。
=i.length)return 0;else return which;}else{if(which=i.length)return i.length-1;else return which}};t=function(event){if(m>0&&((new Date().getTime())-m)R&&s0){f(c(s-1));console.log(s+":delta is "+delta);L=0.05;R=0.2;T=tilt;}}};d.ontouchmove=d.onmousemove=function(e){if(e.touches&&e.touches.length>1)return true;var x=Math.floor((e.clientX||e.pageX)/BW);var which=c(x>l?s+(x-l):s-(l-x));l=x;if(which!=s){m=new Date().getTime();f(which);}return false;};window.addEventListener('devicemotion',t,false)}

To be continued...

Ping Pong Rematch Against Vernon!

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 900 —
image data

The Rematch!

photo by Anthony Matsunaka Friedl

Today we stopped by to play ping pong again with Vernon Weingart, now 91 years 1 day old,
to make good on my promised rematch from his beating me the other day.

今日も91歳の卓球チャンピオンと遊びませてもらいました。今回はやっと勝った！最初のマッチは完全に負けましたけれども、二回目はぎりぎり勝ちました。勝たれましたかな〜？:-)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 —
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Hand in Pocket

waiting for a challenge that never came

After knocking the ball around for a while with Anthony and me, Vernon and I
played our first best-of-three match, and he easily beat me in two
games. He was much stronger than the last time.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 900 —
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Just Nipping the Edge

he was a master at hitting the edge of the table, making a return shot impossible

We all knocked the ball around again for a while, and we then played another match. This time
I won the first game after having gone to deuce a dozen times.... he was toying with me, but I finally
got lucky (or he finally got tired of toying with me), and I won the game. Woo-hoo!

The second game was much the same, and I won after a long time at deuce. I think he let me, but it still
felt nice.

As a championship-level player for more than 40 years, he's been challenged much more before....
he's had multiple world champions in his basement at the same time (“I didn't fare very well that day”). And of course with age (he's 91 years old), the ultra-fast younger generation crush him. He recently played against a girl 1/10th is age who trounced him. “I couldn't do anything against her.”
I'm looking forward to see how she plays in the year 2097 when she's his current age.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/50 sec, f/10, ISO 6400 —
image data

Anthony also played a lot, and was much better than yesterday. Just the little bit of play with Vernon last time
really made his game progress, and he was suddenly spinning and smashing with much better accuracy. Another few days
of this and he'll be beating me!

We're planning to play again tomorrow.