I’ve always wanted to experience photographing autumn foliage in Kyoto at least once, and this year I finally made it happen. It also served as a perfect warm-up for my newly acquired LUMIX S1IIE and SIGMA 20-200mm travel zoom lens.
As of late November, PhotoLab still doesn’t support this lens, which is frustrating for a RAW shooter like me, but there’s nothing to be done. The photos shown here are uncorrected for various aberrations. I only manually correct vignetting in RAW development when it’s particularly noticeable.
It was fortunate that the late November holiday coincided with the peak of the autumn foliage. Aqueduct of Nanzenji Temple in Higashiyama, the colors were also at their best.
A classic spot with a classic composition. You could say it’s unremarkable, but when it’s this stunning, you just can’t resist snapping a shot.
Even though I made the trip, this might be the only photo that screams “Nanzenji Temple!” After that, I just kept shooting snapshots of the autumn leaves I loved.
The SIGMA 20-200mm lens lets you get really close, so shots like this are possible – major self-satisfaction.
Step back or move closer, it works well. Though it’s a dark lens, the background blur at mid-range distances is quite decent.
Past their peak, these withered autumn leaves have a certain charm all their own.
On this day at Nanzenji, not only the maple leaves but also the large ginkgo tree shining golden yellow caught the eye.
Maple and ginkgo trees’ vibrant autumn colors are certainly delightful, but I also adore the subtle autumn hues of cherry blossoms.
To be honest, Nanzenji Temple was a bit underwhelming (lol),
but in terms of autumn foliage scenery, the most beautiful view might actually have been this one seen beyond the temple parking lot wall.
So, that means the series of autumn snapshots from Kyoto’s maple season will continue for a while.
