A Tea Ceremony in Japan - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

The recent events led me to think of a beautiful tea ceremony that we participated in Japan.  Like everywhere we've traveled to, we've had nothing but nice scenery, friendly people and cool cultures - well, for the most part. :-)

Now that we are in fall season, I remembered the warm setting sun in the tea room and had to process one image to share.

This was made in Takamatsu while visiting the Ritsurin Park.  We couldn't be happier when we stumbled upon the ancient Kikugetsu-Tei, and were even happier after spending hours perusing the nice architecture, landscape and interacting with the nice people there.  Can you believe they even had someone translate the whole ceremony for us?  That's the beauty of traveling by ourselves and being inquisitive all the time. :-)

Isn't this lady beautiful being bathed in the warm rays?  And look at her elegant gestures.  Tell me you like it as much as I do! :-)

Lady-Performing-Tea-Ceremony-©Jean-Huang-Photography

An Authentic Japanese Portrait - Los Angeles Custom Portrait Photographer

Many of you know that I've just had a trip to Japan.  As exciting as it is to share the experience, it can be overwhelming when you try to tell the stories through photography.  Especially when you visit many unique and vastly different cities, the question that begs to jump out is "where do you start"?Well, hulling through all images and process and edit to make a 2012 calendar in itself can feel like a paramount project.  And yet, the remaining tasks seem a bigger mountain to climb.  (Side note: for those that know me or will get to know me, I do not like climbing mountains. :-))  And of course, I never forget my mission in this photographic journey - it's a beautiful world and I'm here to share the beauty the way I see it.  So, I decide to pick an image from an encounter that leaves the most impression to me on the trip.

This started when we ran into a real beauty while visiting the Ritsurin Park in Takamatsu.

Ritsurin Park is among the many beautiful parks/gardens that we've visited in Japan and is one of my favorites.  As I always say, people make part of the scenery anywhere you go.  When you have  great interaction with people at any locale, you end up liking this place for the fond memories.  I won't digress into too much details of what this Park is about as this will be the subject of my travel blog.  I just feel that it was my lucky day to have met Arisa with her hair dresser/make-up artist Doiko (I hope I didn't butcher her name. :P).

They were so nice to allow me to take portraits of Arisa while they were there for business.  Arisa was a natural and with little directions, she looks really good in this image.  A Japanese girl, in the beautiful kimono, with a real Japanese setting.  What an authentic experience! 

Japanese Girl in Kimono at Ritsurin Park, Takamatsu, Japan - ©Jean Huang Photography

What do you think?