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This is Page 1 of 3 - the best of November 2013!
posted: November 30th, 2013
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This page begins with November 3rd and a trip to Jindai Botanical Gardens. There was nothing which was really amazing, but we took a few shots. Then on November 8th, a Friday, Kazuya had to work and I had the day off, so I went out and climbed Mt. Takao for the 97th time, specifically to catch the sunset and also to check and see if there were any autumn colors yet. After that, on November 16th, Kazuya and I traveled out to the Okutama Area and took a bus to Higashi Nippara in search of Autumn Colors. WOW! Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin November 3rd
  On Sunday, November 3rd, Kazuya and I went to Jindai Botanical Garden on our bicycles. Just by coincidence it happened to be at the time of the annual Chrysanthemum Fair. The first photo in this row shows some kind of very fancy Chrysanthemum, as does the 2nd photo. The 3rd photo shows the biggest patch of Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana).
Nov03_02Crop_JindaiBotGarden_ChrysanthemumRC
Nov03_02Crop_JindaiBot
Garden_ChrysanthemumRC
Nov03_03Crop_JindaiBotGarden_ChrysanthemumRC
Nov03_03Crop_JindaiBot
Garden_ChrysanthemumRC
Nov03_06_JindaiBotGarden_PampasGrassRC
Nov03_06_JindaiBot
Garden_PampasGrassRC

  WOW! This species of Oak Tree (Quercus sp.) has a bumper crop of acorns this year! The 2nd image shows a 2 photo panorama of their annual Chrysanthemum Waterfall. It did not seem as large this year as it has been in past years, but we were not 100% certain about this.
Nov03_10_JindaiBotGarden_AcornsRC
Nov03_10_JindaiBot
Garden_AcornsRC
Nov03_14_15_JindaiBotGarden_Auto_Panorama2_ChrysanthemumWaterfallRC
Nov03_14_15_JindaiBotGarden_Auto_
Panorama2_ChrysanthemumWaterfallRC
End November 3rd, Begin November 8th
  On Friday, November 8th, Kazuya had to work and I went out and climbed Mt. Takao (599 m = 1,965 ft.) for the 97th time! I went up there specifically to catch the sunset, so I did not leave the house until around 2:00 PM. The first shot in this row shows the area around the entryway to the trails, which is called Takao-san Guchi. The building you see on the left houses the cable car, which I did not ride and which we very rarely use to go up. The 2nd shot shows a colorful Ginkgo Tree at Takao-san Guchi. There were no photos taken on the climb, so the 3rd shot was taken at the summit of the mountain, and of course it is a Red Maple.
Nov08_01a_MtTakao_Guchi_FromDNGRC
Nov08_01a_MtTakao_
Guchi_FromDNGRC
Nov08_06_MtTakao_GuchiRC
Nov08_06_Mt
Takao_GuchiRC
Nov08_10_MtTakao_SummitRC
Nov08_10_Mt
Takao_SummitRC

  Here are 2 more shots of Red Maple leaves at the summit of Mt. Takao. The time here is about 3:40 PM and the sun will not set until around 4:40 PM. I took the camping stove with me and some coffee, hot chocolate and a cup of "Cup Noodles" and warmed up while I waited for the sun to go down. The 3rd shot was taken at 4:31 PM. Mt. Fuji is hiding behind that bank of clouds to the left of the sun.
Nov08_12_MtTakao_SummitRC
Nov08_12_Mt
Takao_SummitRC
Nov08_16_MtTakao_SummitRC
Nov08_16_Mt
Takao_SummitRC
Nov08_20_MtTakao_SunsetRC
Nov08_20_Mt
Takao_SunsetRC

  The first image here is a 3 shot panorama of portrait mode photos taken at 4:32 PM. The 2nd photo was taken at 4:37 PM and Mt. Fuji is still hiding from us. The 3rd shot was taken at 4:38 AM and is zoomed in quite a bit
Nov08_24_25_26_MtTakao_Sunset_PanoramaRC
Nov08_24_25_26_Mt
Takao_Sunset_PanoramaRC
Nov08_32_MtTakao_SunsetRC
Nov08_32_Mt
Takao_SunsetRC
Nov08_38_MtTakao_SunsetRC
Nov08_38_Mt
Takao_SunsetRC

  The first shot here was snapped at 4:41 PM as the sun slides behind the horizon. The second shot was taken at 4:43 PM and the sun is gone. The 3rd shot was taken a couple of seconds after the 2nd one and came out very nicely - I did not do anything to this photo, it is exactly as shot. It came out nicely red.
Nov08_45_MtTakao_SunsetRC
Nov08_45_Mt
Takao_SunsetRC
Nov08_51_MtTakao_SunsetRC
Nov08_51_Mt
Takao_SunsetRC
Nov08_52_MtTakao_SunsetRC
Nov08_52_Mt
Takao_SunsetRC

  And then, suddenly Mt. Fuji appeared! That cloud bank dissipated over the course of less than 3 minutes and there was Mt. Fuji! The first shot here was taken at 4:50 PM and was processed from a Digital Negative. The 2nd image is a 2 shot panorama that was actually taken before the 1st shot in this row, but is out of order to achieve balance. It was taken at 4:44 PM and has been brightened up a bit using Shadow Illuminator Pro. Today is November 3rd. In about 7 weeks, on about December 21st, the sun will set directly behind Mt. Fuji. I hope that I can witness it this year. The 3rd shot, of a Red Maple, was taken with my flash as an experiment - it came out pretty good.
Nov08_63_MtTakao_Sunset_FromDNGRC
Nov08_63_MtTakao_
Sunset_FromDNGRC
Nov08_54_55_SIP_MtTakao_Sunset_PanoramaRC
Nov08_54_55_SIP_MtTakao
_Sunset_PanoramaRC
Nov08_68_MtTakao_RedLeavesRC
Nov08_68_MtTakao
_RedLeavesRC
End November 8th, Begin November 16th
  On November 16th Kazuya and I went out to Okutama on the train and then took a bus to Higashi Nippara. From there we hiked up the road, taking fall color photos as we went along. We visited here last year at about this time too (on November 18th) and if you're interested you can find those photos HERE. The first 2 shots here show a beautifully colored persimmon tree (Diospyros sp.). The 3rd shot shows Inamura Rock (Inamura Iwa in Japanese), but the colors did not come out like they were in real life.
Nov16_02_HigashiNippara_PersimmonRC
Nov16_02_Higashi
Nippara_PersimmonRC
Nov16_03_HigashiNippara_PersimmonRC
Nov16_03_Higashi
Nippara_PersimmonRC
Nov16th_04_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_04_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC

  Here are 3 images, all of which center on Inamura Rock. The 2nd and 3rd images were created from 3 exposure-bracketed photos and combined using Photomatix Pro and the Details Enhancer Option. They came out quite nicely.
Nov16th_21_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_21_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_10_11_12_TMDE_HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC
Nov16_10_11_12_TMDE_
HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC
Nov16_13_14_15_TMDE_HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC
Nov16_13_14_15_TMDE_
HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC

  Here are 3 more images, all of which center around Inamura Rock. The 1st and 3rd images were created from 3 exposure-bracketed photos and combined using Photomatix Pro and the Details Enhancer Option. The center image is a 2 shot panorama which has had its saturation bumped up a bit.
Nov16_16_17_18_TMDE_HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC
Nov16_16_17_18_TMDE_
HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC
Nov16_25_26_Panorama_HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC
Nov16_25_26_Panorama_
HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC
Nov16_22_23_24_TMDE_HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC
Nov16_22_23_24_TMDE_
HigashiNippara_InamuraRockRC

  Now we're continuing to hike up the road and Inamura Rock is behind us. The 1st shot shows Autumn Colors. The 2nd shot was zoomed in to the mountain tops and shows that up there the trees are bare of leaves already. The 3rd shot shows an entire mountainside.
Nov16th_33_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_33_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_34_HigashiNippara_Scenery_FromDNGRC
Nov16_34_HigashiNippara
_Scenery_FromDNGRC
Nov16th_38_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_38_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC

  We're continuing to hike up the road and continuing to take fall color shots. The 2nd shot is zoomed in to the rocky area which you can see in the first shot - pretty bare country up there, eh. The 3rd shot was taken looking back down the road and you can once again see Inamura Rock.
Nov16_39_HigashiNippara_SceneryRC
Nov16_39_Higashi
Nippara_SceneryRC
Nov16_60_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_60_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_54_HigashiNippara_Scenery_FallColorRC
Nov16_54_HigashiNippara
_Scenery_FallColorRC

  In the 1st shot here you can once again see Inamura Rock. The 2nd and 3rd shots are nice fall color images.
Nov16th_50_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_50_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_58_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_58_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_61_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_61_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC

  Here are 3 fall color shots. In the center photo you can see the road. The 3rd shot shows a small area of the 2nd shot.
Nov16_64_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_64_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_73_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_73_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_75_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_75_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC

  Red, orange, purple, yellow, green - you can find them all in these 3 shots of Autumn Color!
Nov16_68_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_68_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_66_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_66_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_69_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_69_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC

  The 1st image in this row is a 2 shot panorama of fall colors. The 2nd shot has some nice colors and the 3rd shot is zoomed in to a mountainside which has some nice yellow larch trees (Larix sp.) on it. You might note that as the clock ticks along that there is a little haze starting to appear.
Nov16_70_75_Panorama_Sph_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_70_75_Panorama_Sph_
HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_76_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_76_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_79_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_79_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC

  Here is another 2 shot panorama in 1st position. That is followed by nice colors in the 2nd and 3rd shots.
Nov16_81_82_Panorama_SIP_AT_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_81_82_Panorama_SIP_AT_
HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_81_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_81_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_85_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_85_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC

  The first photo in this row has some brilliant reds. The 2nd and 3rd shots are of me and then Kazuya, respectively.
Nov16_88_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_88_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_90_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_90_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_99_HigashiNippara_FallColors_KazuyaRC
Nov16_99_HigashiNippara
_FallColors_KazuyaRC

  It's so amazing how God makes the countryside so beautiful at this time of the year!
Nov16_95_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_95_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_97_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_97_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_93_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_93_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC

  First, some nice colors, then me with some nice colors and then an entire hillside of nice colors.
Nov16_98_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_98_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_105_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_105_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_110_HigashiNippara_FallColorsRC
Nov16_110_Higashi
Nippara_FallColorsRC
End Page 1, but November 16th Continues on Page 2
Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of this Autumn Color Tour adventure. Go To Page:


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