Shisendo (ND-2)

This was the scene we encountered at Shisendo when we first arrived in Kyoto at the end of September in 2006. Before he took the image of Shisendo (ND-62), William was intent on capturing different compositions that would contrast well with each other. The geometric lines created by the building structures act as frames; each opening shows one section of the larger garden, the whole almost like one large byobu, or standing screen. All the elements in each frame relate to each other. At the same time, the many rectangular shapes of the shoji screen and the tatami mats emphasize the round and crenate shapes of the bushes. It is a bit humorous to discover the small stone lantern-pagoda peeking out from among them.