It’s been a while since I updated the blog. Many busy weeks, the last couple of which were spent in Kyoto prepping for, then teaching the 2017 Kyoto Workshop.

Before the students arrived I spent about a week revisiting various locations thinking about possible images we could shoot, but also general planning including access, the amount of walking involved, the time required, bathrooms, and restaurants.

Fushimi Inari Shrine with its tunnels of orange torii gates is one of Kyoto’s most famous locations. In 2004, I shot this post’s featured image  with the Pentax 67 medium format film camera.

At Inari shrines, foxes are revered as messengers. Fox statues and symbols can be found at the shrine and beside the various mountain trails.

The orange torii gates are donated by individuals or business to the shrines. There are signs at various points on the route giving pricing for different sizes of gates.

While scouting the trail, I came across Takeda-san who was finishing the painting of a new torii gate.

I spent a few minutes chatting to him, and watching him work. Always a pleasure to see what is happening behind the scenes.

The main thing I learned from this day of scouting was that the number of tourists visiting Fushimi Inari is growing year by year. If you want images of the shrine without the crowds, you are going to have to visit early.