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posted: November 30th, 2011 |
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This page begins with November 12th and a trip west out to Okutama Lake. We then hiked back on the "Mukashi-Michi" or Old-Road, from Okutama Lake to Okutama Station in a search for good fall colors. The following day - November 13th - we took a trip to Jindai Botanical Garden to check out the progress of fall colors closer to home. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin November 12th |
On November 12th Kazuya and I went out to Okutama Lake to check on the progress of the Autumn (Fall) Colors and to hike from the lake back to Okutama Station on the Mukashi-Michi or Old Road. These first 3 photos show what the scenery was like from the lake. The 3rd image, a High Dynamic Range Photo, was created from three exposure-bracketed shots. In other words - it was Tone-mapped with Photomatix Pro software using the Details-Enhancer Option. I am not going to show you the original photos from which it was created - I think you got the idea of what the original photos might have looked like from the examples on the previous page.
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 Nov12_001_ OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
 Nov12_002_ OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
 Nov12_004_005_006_ TMDE_OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
All three images in this row are High Dynamic Range photos. In other words - they were all Tone-mapped with Photomatix Pro software using the Details-Enhancer Option. It was a difficult day for getting shots which showed what it really looked like, so I took a whole lot of exposure-bracketed photos today in an attempt to be able to create something similar to what our eyes actually saw. We could see in our camera preview screens after we shot each scene, that the colors were not coming out anything like what it was in real life. That's why I started taking all of the exposure bracketed shots. Granted, the HDR images are not exactly like what our eyes saw either, but they are closer than any single photo was.
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 Nov12_007_008_009_ TMDE_OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
 Nov12_010_011_012_ TMDE_OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
 Nov12_013_014_015_ TMDE_OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
Here are 3 more fall color shots taken at Okutama Lake. The first photo has not been enhanced in any way. The 2nd and 3rd images were once again Tone-mapped with Photomatix Pro - with the Tone-Compressor Option - from 3 exposure-bracketed shots.
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 Nov12_017_ OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
 Nov12_018_019_020_ TMTC_OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
 Nov12_022_023_024_ TMTC_OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
The 1st image was once again Tone-mapped with Photomatix Pro - with the Details-Enhancer Option - from 3 exposure-bracketed shots. This is a very interesting exposure effect considering we were looking right into the sun! The 2nd photo is "as shot" and the 3rd image has been Tone-mapped using the Tone-Compressor Option of Photomatix Pro.
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 Nov12_032_033_034_ TMDE_OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
 Nov12_039_ OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
 Nov12_040_041_042_ TMTC_OkutamaLakeAreaRC |
That concludes our time around the lakeshore. Now we are hiking on the Old Road from Okutama Lake to Okutama Station. The 1st and 2nd shots in this row are, of course, Red Maple. The 3rd shot is an amazingly lichen covered rock along the trail. The leaf on the rock, as well as the other leaves in the shot, give you an idea of scale.
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 Nov12_045_Okutama MukashiMichiHikeRC |
 Nov12_044_Okutama MukashiMichiHikeRC |
 Nov12_051_Okutama MukashiMichiHikeRC |
Here are 2 different shots of a beautiful orange Persimmon (Diospyros sp.). The 1st and 3rd images are the same, but I replaced the bright blue sky with a gray-colored sky to enhance the contrast effect of the orange fruits.
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 Nov12th_Okutama 030_FallColorsRC |
 Nov12_055_Okutama MukashiMichiHikeRC |
 Nov12th_Okutama 030RC_FallColorsRC |
Here is a shot looking uphill from the trail in first position and then 2 shots of a Red Maple and some Susuki Grass (Miscanthus sinensis).
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 Nov12th_Okutama 029_FallColorsRC |
 Nov12th_Okutama 031_FallColorsRC |
 Nov12th_Okutama 032_FallColorsRC |
Here is another shot of a beautiful Persimmon Tree (Diospyros sp.). Then there is a Tone-mapped (Tone-Compressor Option) image of the Tama River Gorge. In 3rd position is a nice colored shot of a Maple Tree.
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 Nov12_060_Okutama MukashiMichiHikeRC |
 Nov12_066_067_068_TMTC _OkutamaMukashiMichiHikeRC |
 Nov12th_Okutama 033_FallColorsRC |
Here is a shot of me standing on the footbridge from which the next 3 shots were taken. The Tama-River here is very milky-colored and has been like that since the big typhoon back a few months ago. The last time there was a typhoon which dropped as much rain as this recent one did, the water stayed milky-colored for about a year. Apparently it takes about that long for the sediment to come downstream from the lake. Wonder if the Fisheries Biologists even care that this really kills a LOT of fish eggs.
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 Nov12th_Okutama 041_FallColorsRC |
 Nov12_071_Okutama MukashiMichiHikeRC |
 Nov12th_Okutama 045_FallColorsRC |
Here is the final image taken from the footbridge. This image was created by fusing 3 exposure-bracketed images using the Photomatix Pro software. You may be wondering about this software - I have now mentioned a "Details-Enhancer Option" a "Tone-Compressor Option" and a "Fusion Option". One quite often has to play with all 3 options to find the one which works best with the particular set of photos which are being worked on. The 2nd shot here has not been enhanced in any way and it came out pretty nice. The 3rd image is once again 3 exposure-bracketed shots which have been fused with Photomatix Pro.
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 Nov12_080_081_082_Fused _OkutamaMukashiMichiHikeRC |
 Nov12th_Okutama 053_FallColorsRC |
 Nov12_098_099_100_Fused _OkutamaMukashiMichiHikeRC |
Here are 2 shots of approximately the same area. The first shot is more zoomed than the 2nd shot. The 2nd image was also created from 3 exposure-bracketed shots which have been fused.
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 Nov12th_Okutama 060a_FallColorsRC |
 Nov12_101_102_103_Fused _OkutamaMukashiMichiHikeRC |
Here is the final fall color image - it has been created by making a High Dynamic Range image via Tone-mapping 3 exposure-bracketed images with the Details-Enhancer Option of Photomatix Pro. Then the Brightness and Contrast were adjusted with Photoshop. The 2nd, and final shot, from today is a wild Chrysanthemum along the old road.
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 Nov12_109_110_111_TMDEBC _OkutamaMukashiMichiHikeRC |
 Nov12_113_OkutamaMukashi MichiHike_ChrysanthemumRC |
| End November 12th, Begin November 13th |
On November 13th we took a bicycle ride to Jindai Botanical Garden. In this row are 3 shots of the large clump of Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana) - each shot is increasingly zoomed-in.
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 Nov13_01_JindaiBG _PampasGrassRC |
 Nov13_02_JindaiBG _PampasGrassRC |
 Nov13_03_JindaiBG _PampasGrassRC |
Here are 2 panoramic images of the annual Chrysanthemum Waterfall. Sandwiched between the 2 panoramas is a single shot of the central area of the Chrysanthemum Waterfall.
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 Nov13_12_13_Stitch_SIP _JindaiBG_ChrysanthemumRC |
 Nov13_09_JindaiBG _ChrysanthemumRC |
 Nov13_14_15_Stitch_SIP _JindaiBG_ChrysanthemumRC |
Here are 3 shots of amazing Dahlia Blossoms.
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 Nov13_18_Jindai BG_DahliaRC |
 Nov13_21_Jindai BG_DahliaRC |
 Nov13_24_Jindai BG_DahliaRC |
Here is a shot of a Dahlia known as "Santa Claus"! Interesting! The 2nd shot is a Cocoa (Cacao) Tree (Theobroma cacao) with several fruits. This grows in the greenhouse.
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 Nov13_35_Jindai BG_DahliaRC |
 Nov13_38_Jindai BG_CocoaRC |
| End November 13th, End Page 2 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 3 for the continuation of this month's adventures. |
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