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This is Page 1 of 2 - the best of August 2013!
posted: August 31st, 2013
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This page begins with August 3rd when Kazuya and I went out and climbed Mt. Takao (599 m = 1,965 ft) for the 94th time and Mt. Kobotoke-Shiro yama (670 m = 2,199 ft) for the 43rd time. After that I went out to Mt. Mitake to photograph the False Anemone (Rengeshouma in Japanese) (Anemonopsis macrophylla) on August 11th. Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin August 3rd
  In this row are 2 shots of Hydrangea involucrata - (Tama-Ajisai in Japanese). In Japanese egg = tama-go. Kazuya told me that this plant is called this because the buds look rather like eggs, and additionally, when they start to open, the outer layer falls off and drops to the ground. Under the bushes it looks like somebody dropped some egg shells! In the first shot you can see a flower and also several unopened buds and in the 2nd shot you can see how the outer bud is breaking apart.
Aug3rd_02_Takao_Hikage_HydrangeaInvolucrataRC
Aug3rd_02_Takao_Hikage_
HydrangeaInvolucrataRC
Aug03_01_Takao_Hydrangea_involucrataRC
Aug03_01_Takao_
Hydrangea_involucrataRC

  Here are 2 final shots of Hydrangea involucrata - (Tama-Ajisai in Japanese). We should have taken a photo of the "egg shells" lying on the ground under the bush, but didn't think to do that - maybe next time.
Aug03_05_Takao_Hydrangea_involucrataRC
Aug03_05_Takao_
Hydrangea_involucrataRC
Aug03_06_Takao_Hydrangea_involucrataRC
Aug03_06_Takao_
Hydrangea_involucrataRC

  Here are 2 shots of Cardiocrinum cordatum - (Uba-Yuri in Japanese = Old-Lady Lily). Last month we showed you a single photo of the buds of this lily plant and you can see it HERE (new window or tab).
Aug03_09_Takao_Cardiocrinum_cordatumRC
Aug03_09_Takao_
Cardiocrinum_cordatumRC
Aug03_12_Takao_Cardiocrinum_cordatumRC
Aug03_12_Takao_
Cardiocrinum_cordatumRC

  Here are 2 more shots of Cardiocrinum cordatum - (Uba-Yuri in Japanese = Old-Lady Lily). Note the bee in the first photo, and all of the pollen stuck to its body! The 2nd shot was processed from a Digital Negative in Photoshop. Yes, the Canon SX40 HS that I own is capable of recording Digital Negatives if one installs the CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit) software on an SDHC card and then installs it to the camera upon startup. Read more about it HERE (new window or tab) if you have lots of time and unlimited patience. I have not used it since December 2010, and if you would like to see those photos then visit THIS PAGE (new window or tab). There are 4 images on this page which were taken as Digital Negatives and then processed with Photoshop. Why would one want to do this? Because it allows you to shoot in extremely dark/overcast conditions and then end up with a decent photo by processing with software which allows it (Photoshop does). In the next row I will show you an example of what I am talking about.
Aug3rd_30_Takao_Hikage_CardiocrinumCordatumRC
Aug3rd_30_Takao_Hikage
_CardiocrinumCordatumRC
Aug03_29_Takao_Takao_Cardiocrinum_cordatum_FromDNGRC
Aug03_29_Takao_Takao
_Cardiocrinum_cordatum_FromDNGRC

  Here is a single shot of an interesting small Thistle. The first image has been processed from a Digital Negative and the 2nd image shows both the processed image and the unprocessed image. You'll notice that it was very dark - due to heavy clouds - and that although the image probably would have been useable after a bit of brightening, the very light pink color would probably have been totally lost by doing that. Processing the Digital Negative, however, allowed the very slight pink color to be retained.
Aug03_21_Takao_Thistle_FromDNGRC
Aug03_21_Takao_
Thistle_FromDNGRC
Aug03_21_Takao_Thistle_FromDNG_UnprocDNGRC
Aug03_21_Takao_Thistle
_FromDNG_UnprocDNGRC

  Here are 3 shots of Dicliptera japonica - (Hagurosou in Japanese). The 3rd photo would probably have benefited if shot as a Digital Negative and then processed, as it is the colors look kind of fake, but I assure you that nothing has been done to this photo beyond cropping and using Shadow Illuminator Pro to illuminate the shadows. I believe that I must have shot it using "Cloudy Mode".
Aug3rd_40_Takao_Hikage_DiclipteraJaponicaRC
Aug3rd_40_Takao_Hikage
_DiclipteraJaponicaRC
Aug03_02_Takao_Dicliptera_japonicaRC
Aug03_02_Takao_
Dicliptera_japonicaRC
Aug03_04_Takao_Dicliptera_japonicaRC
Aug03_04_Takao_
Dicliptera_japonicaRC

  In this row are 2 shots of Conandron ramondioides - (Iwa-Tabako in Japanese). The center image is a cropped version of the 3rd photo. This is a flower which we seldom see and even more seldom get a decent photo of. It grows just about 100% only on rock walls and only in very shaded and damp locations, for example on the rock walls at waterfalls. These shots were taken about 100 meters from a waterfall, and in a very dark and damp valley. The flash was used for all of them.
Aug03_43_Takao_Conandron_ramondioidesRC
Aug03_43_Takao_
Conandron_ramondioidesRC
Aug03_45Crop_Takao_Conandron_ramondioidesRC
Aug03_45Crop_Takao_
Conandron_ramondioidesRC
Aug03_45_Takao_Conandron_ramondioidesRC
Aug03_45_Takao_
Conandron_ramondioidesRC

  Here are 2 additional shots of Conandron ramondioides - (Iwa-Tabako in Japanese).
Aug03_36_Takao_Conandron_ramondioidesRC
Aug03_36_Takao_
Conandron_ramondioidesRC
Aug03_39_Takao_Conandron_ramondioidesRC
Aug03_39_Takao_
Conandron_ramondioidesRC

  In this row are 3 shots of the very poisonous Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric) mushroom. These came out very nicely. The first image was processed from a Digital Negative.
Aug03_51_Takao_Amanita_muscaria_FromDNGRC
Aug03_51_Takao_
Amanita_muscaria_FromDNGRC
Aug03_47_Takao_Amanita_muscariaRC
Aug03_47_Takao_
Amanita_muscariaRC
Aug03_53_Takao_Amanita_muscariaRC
Aug03_53_Takao_
Amanita_muscariaRC

  Here are 2 shots of a species of Arisaema (Jack-in-the-pulpit) with very red berries. The 3rd shot is a species of Tricyrtis, commonly referred to as Toad Lily.
Aug03_55_Takao_Arisaema_spRC
Aug03_55_Takao
_Arisaema_spRC
Aug03_56_Takao_Arisaema_spRC
Aug03_56_Takao
_Arisaema_spRC
Aug03_59_Takao_Tricyrtis_spRC
Aug03_59_Takao
_Tricyrtis_spRC

  Now we have arrived at Mt. Kobotoke-Shiro yama for the 43rd time. We ate the lunch which we brought with us and we had these HUGE Sno-Cones (Kakigori in Japanese). This place is rather famous for these HUGE Sno-Cones - and they are no more expensive than a regular size one at a "normal" place in the city. For a photo of a "normal size" kakigori please see the photo HERE (new window or tab). I had a Blue Hawaii flavor one and Kazuya had a Grape flavor one (but the stand made a mistake and put on one squirt of Strawberry flavoring, which explains the red streak on the purple one). After that we started to hike down via Kagenobu Pass, but it suddenly started getting very cloudy, and due to the recent prevalence of surprise thunderstorms in mid-afternoon, we decided to head back and go directly down the Hikage Creek Road. Along the way we found this Clerodendrum japonicum (Japanese glorybower) in bloom. It's quite pretty. The 3rd shot in this row was again, processed from a Digital Negative and through the processing I was able to make it look practically like a sunny day!
Aug3rd_51_Takao_HikageKakigoriRC
Aug3rd_51_Takao
_HikageKakigoriRC
Aug03_61_Takao_UnknownSmallTreeRC
Aug03_61_Takao
_UnknownSmallTreeRC
Aug03_65_Takao_UnknownSmallTree_FromDNGRC
Aug03_65_Takao_Unknown
SmallTree_FromDNGRC
End August 3rd, Begin August 11th
  On August 11th I went out to Mt. Mitake to see the False Anemone (Rengeshouma in Japanese) (Anemonopsis macrophylla) in bloom. Kazuya was busy for the weekend, so I was also going to hike to and climb Mt. Ohtake and camp there for the night. It had been so miserably hot in Tokyo of late that I thought it would be cool and refreshing to go to the mountains as Mt. Mitake is 929 m (= 3,048 ft and Mt. Ohtake is 1,267 m (= 4,155 ft). Well, when I arrived at Mt. Mitake at 8:30 AM, it was already 31° C (= 88° F). So, I took around 100 photos of the Anemonopsis macrophylla, started hiking for Mt. Ohtake and realized that the mountain temperature was not refreshing, it was stifling. Plus, it was so incredibly hazy that it was certain that I was not going to see any great scenery, despite the effort I was going to have to go to in the ascent of Mt. Ohtake. Hmmm, what to do? I decided to go back home, where at least there is air conditioning! And, it's rather fortunate that was the decision I made, as later in the day there was the most intense and vicious thunderstorm I have ever seen/experienced in my life, and I am 65 years old. A mountaintop would not have been a great place to be.

In this row, the first image is a cropped version of the center photo of False Anemone (Rengeshouma in Japanese) (Anemonopsis macrophylla). This image highlights the flower and 2 unopened flower buds. The 3rd photo is an embossed version of the cropped image.
Aug11_01Crop_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_01Crop_Mt
Mitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_01_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_01_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_01Crop_Emboss_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_01Crop_Emboss
_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC

  In this row are 3 photos of Rengeshouma. You'll note that the flowers ALWAYS hang down, so to get under the flowers and photograph them, one is ALWAYS looking up at the tree tops. If one is not careful one will get portions of one's own head or hat in the photo!
Aug11_05_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_05_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_07_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_07_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_09_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_09_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC

  Here are 3 more shots of the Rengeshouma. I am a bit curious as to what insect pollinates these flowers. The way they are shaped is very interesting.
Aug11_15_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_15_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_32_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_32_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_38_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_38_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC

  These 2 images are both from the same photo, the first is the original photo while the 2nd image is a cropped out portion of the first photo highlighting the flower and 1 unopened bud.
Aug11_39_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_39_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_39Crop_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_39Crop_Mt
Mitake_RengeshoumaRC

  The 3 images in this row are all from the same photo, merely increasingly cropped, so that the 3rd image shows just the very center of the Anemonopsis macrophylla flower.
Aug11_50_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_50_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_50Crop_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_50Crop_Mt
Mitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_50CropCrop_MtMitake_Rengeshouma
Aug11_50CroppedTight
_MtMitake_Rengeshouma

  The 2 photos in this row are the final "real ones" of Anemonopsis macrophylla. The 2nd photo was zoomed in and taken from quite a distance away to show a group of flowers against a dark background.
Aug11_71_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_71_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_72_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_72_MtMitake
_RengeshoumaRC

  These 2 images have obviously had special effects added to them. The first image has been changed to a Negative Image of the 2nd image in Row #15, so the flower is dark and the center is white. The 2nd image is the center image from Row 16 and has had a Sheet Metal Effect added to it. And, that's all of the False Anemone (Rengeshouma in Japanese) (Anemonopsis macrophylla) photos you'll see until next year.
Aug11_39CropNegative_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_39CropNegative
_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_50CropSheetMetal_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
Aug11_50CropSheetMetal
_MtMitake_RengeshoumaRC
End August 11th, End Page 1
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