Byodo-In Temple, Kaneohe, Hawaii

[David]

In Kaneohe's Valley of the Temples, Byodo-In Temple site nestled amongst gravestones and a semi-tropical forest. Far from roads, the ocean, and most tourists, Byodo-In Temple rests in a permanent fog of serenity, feeling isolated and apart.

For my day off in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, I took in Byodo-In Temple. I brought my K-7, Samyang 18-28, Pentax FA Limited 31mm, and Sigma 50mm 1:1 macro lens. Each got a fairly good workout. Here are some of the day's shots. On a side note, I've been so happy with the Pentax 31mm lens that I picked up the 77mm while I was in Japan. It was special order, but I'll have it by September.

1

Samyang 18-28

2

Pentax FA Limited 31mm

3

Lighting incense at the temple. This shot almost got me in trouble. I had my Manfrotto tripod and I was given the okay to use it, but for non-personal use shots, there are really steep fees. So the operators actually came to check if I was just using the shots for personal use.

4


5


6

There's a Japanese tea ceremony there the second Saturday of each month. I was allowed to take photos while I was served.

7


8

This actually took a lot of coaxing. I managed to get one to land on my hand, but it flew away when my finger twitched.

[kds315*]

Pretty neat - thanks for sharing! That must have been a unique experience!

[BurstMox]

I find the #2 very nice

[David]

Thank you both. That's one of those places that makes it very easy to take good photos.

[Yebisu]

Very nice, David. I like number 2 and 8 best.

You'll have to come and see the original Byodo-in near Kyoto next time you're in Japan!