[Photo] Shofuso Japanese House & Garden in Blizzard, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
Who posts a blizzard photo to mark the end of summer? I took this shot of the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Fairmount Park in Philly during the blizzard last February.
I was trying to create images in the style of classic ukiyo-e ("floating world") Japanese woodcut prints, which is one of my favorite styles of artwork. Two of the best-known artists, Hokusai and Hiroshige, have graced my walls on postcards, calendars and actual prints ever since I was fortunate enough to catch an amazing exhibit of their work at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco years ago, when the museum was still in Golden Gate Park.
The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park is larger than the Shofuso House and Garden here in Fairmount Park, with several footpaths, gates, towers and a great cafe. But what it's not likely to get anytime soon is a foot of snow. So these photos have a special quality in that respect.
On that blustery day, there wasn't another soul in the area. It was incredibly peaceful. The gates were locked and as much as I wanted to jump the fence and take advantage of this rare photo opportunity, I circled the perimeter instead. I took roughly 55 images and got four or five that I'm happy with. A few more can be found on my Flickr page.
Next move: Making sure I catch the same shots in the fall when the leaves turn and during next spring's cherry blossom festival. And since there are still a few days left in summer, I'd better go back and catch the garden while it's still green -- then I can post those photos in the middle of winter ...
