NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO400)
Kanazawa is less touristy than Kyoto simple because it is less spectacular but it is still full of amazing locations. One of the best is the Nomura Samurai Residence.
This is one of our highlights of the whole trip. A house of a famous samurai during the Edo period now open to the public. It gives a glimpse of how wealthy people in Japan have lived. The house is impressive but the real star is the garden.
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/2, 1/50 sec, ISO500)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec, ISO2200)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec, ISO3600)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO360)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO1000)
The garden is nothing but spectacular. It’s rather small in size but still a complete landscape. With many different plants, trees and lots of water. You won’t need a lawnmower in this garden but I guess it is an enormous amount of work to keep the vegetation at bay.
Those gardens almost look like a three dimensional picture. You could sit there and stare into nature for hours. You could watch the koi in the water. You could meditate. You could do all that if this would be your garden. But it is not and my pictures are lying. This is a busy place even when it opens in the morning. I just did my best to keep the other visitors out of my pictures because I want to remember this as my private garden.
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO640)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO1100)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO1250)
NIKON Z 8 (40mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO560)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/2, 1/50 sec, ISO720)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/2, 1/50 sec, ISO80)
This is a location where you really want to have a wide lens. This is where something like the Nikon Z 20mmF1.8 S shines. That or a wide angle zoom like a 14-24, 14-30 or 17-28 because the 24mm on your standard zoom doesn’t cut it.
I should not generalise here: 24mm doesn’t cut it for me. Since I have sold my 20/1.8 from Nikon I will use my Z 14-24mmF2.8 S next time. I love the lens but like the 20/1.8 it is on the big and heavy side for my taste. I would love to see a small high quality 20-70/4 from Nikon. That’s one of the lenses from Sony that I would love to have for Nikon Z. This would cover 90% of my focal length needs when traveling. But there is none and I just don’t want to bother with adapted lenses.
Below one of the funnier pieces of the exhibition. A very nice Thank you letter. You need to read that!
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/2, 1/250 sec, ISO64)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO2500)
NIKON Z 8 (20mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO720)
When we left the place it was already really crowded so make sure that you come here early. For us the house of the Samurai was the highlight of our days in Kanazawa and I’m afraid that my pictures don’t do the place justice.
It reminds me of what my mother used to say when I showed her pictures of my trips. “Is it really that beautiful there?” I always used to answer: No, it’s a thousand times more beautiful. There is no way to capture the real beauty of the scenery in a small frame. You need to see it with your own eyes.
I guess everybody on the planet has seen a picture of the Taj Mahal. Yes it is beautiful in pictures but when you are there it gives you goose pumps.
On our way back we passed an orange tree full of oranges. It’s the 20th of November.
NIKON Z 8 (26mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec, ISO200)