Back when I lived in Tokyo for a couple of years one of my favourite places to visit was the ancient capital of Kamakura, which is a short rail trip from the modern capital.
The Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha) is a magnificent structure, dating back to the 13th century.
The Daibutsu was originally housed in a hall, which was twice destroyed/damaged in storms during the 14th century, before being washed away in a 1498 tsunami. The Daibutsu has now been an outdoor feature for some 521 years!
The challenge for photography here is the crowds that flock to visit this site throughout the year. Weekends in particular are crazy busy in the area.
To counter the crowds, I setup to incorporate the base, which is actually a couple of metres above the surrounding ground level and then waited patiently to have the fewest number of people in shot. I have then cleaned up a few errant individuals in Photoshop.
The day we visited was actually quite a rainy day, and this provided a dramatic sky (and kept the crowds down a little).
I highly recommend a visit to Kamakura to any visitor to Japan.
Image Data
- C: Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
- L: Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4
- E: Lightroom CC, Photoshop CC
View this image in my Photo Gallery or on Flickr
