Street Photography
Mindfulness
Temples
What’s the Story?
Immerse yourself in the serene beauty of Kyoto’s Nanzen-ji Temple and The Philosopher’s Path, where the essence of Zen permeates every stone, tree, and flowing stream. This workshop invites you to practice mindful photography, capturing the tranquil elegance of these sacred spaces while embracing the changing seasons—autumn’s fiery leaves, spring’s delicate blossoms, or winter’s stark serenity. With a focus on solitude and contemplation, we’ll seek compositions free of human presence yet also weave in subtle moments of street photography to capture the quiet lives of those who traverse these historic paths.
What We’ll Shoot
We’ll practice mindful photography, slowing down to observe and frame the timeless beauty of Zen landscapes with intention and awareness. You’ll learn to compose images that emphasize simplicity, balance, and harmony, using natural light and seasonal elements like falling leaves or blooming cherry blossoms to enhance mood. We’ll focus on techniques for isolating serene scenes without people, while also exploring candid street photography to capture fleeting human moments—pilgrims, locals, or passersby—blending them seamlessly into the tranquil environment. Skills include mastering depth of field, soft lighting, and thoughtful composition to evoke a meditative atmosphere.
Where We’ll Explore
Our journey begins at Nanzen-ji Temple, a Zen masterpiece with its iconic Sanmon Gate and sprawling gardens, where we’ll photograph ancient architecture and seasonal details in quiet contemplation. From there, we’ll walk The Philosopher’s Path, a serene canal lined with cherry trees and stone walkways, capturing its seasonal transformations with mindfulness. Along the way, we’ll pause to photograph subtle human moments—perhaps a lone wanderer or a temple visitor—integrating their presence into the Zen aesthetic without disrupting the serene focus of our compositions. We will end our mindful exploration in the quiet confines of Honen-in Temple.
Featured Reviews
After taking one of their sessions in Tokyo I arranged for two sessions in Kyoto. Paul was my guide and we had a superb day seeing some of the excellent hidden away sites that Kyoto has to offer. He provided some valuable insights into some of the technical aspects of photography and was also a great companion for the day when we discussed a range of topics. Many thanks for a brilliant and memorable day. Money well spent.
Paul was an excellent teacher, with a great eye, effective teaching style and a lot of helpful technical knowledge. He took us to a quiet and beautiful garden and temple area, away from the crowds, and shared his knowledge of Japanese history and culture.
Chris –
While in Japan, I did four of their tours: Daikoku Night Run, Tokyo Cyberpunk Street, Inari After Dusk, and Kyoto Zen Temples. I couldn’t be happier with these photography workshops. Adam, Charles, and Alberto are all fantastic tutors. EYExplore really stands out by keeping group sizes small, so you get the professionals’ undivided attention. I learned so much and captured photos I never would have taken on my own. I will definitely look up their other workshops should I ever return to Japan.
Steven –
I have taken several photography trips with this group and the last one was a couple of weeks ago with Charles doing Tokyo at night and doing light trails of traffic in Tokyo. I had never done this before and Charles brought a tripod and his wealth of knowledge and I have a couple of fantastic shots of light trails And other night photos of Tokyo. Charles is a great guy and I’ve taken a couple of trips with him and I would highly recommend utilizing the company. I have also been on an excursion to old Tokyo with Lee. I highly recommend this company for photographers of all skill levels to get Pictures they would never get on their own in the greatest city in the world. Total five star experience. I also took a fantastic tour of unknown temples in Kyoto. Amazing temple, which we toured for a couple of hours and only saw one other Tourist. The temple was amazing and try to find an empty temple in Tokyo. They do exist! And I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the guide from eye explore.
debracP9255HD –
Paul was an excellent teacher, with a great eye, effective teaching style and a lot of helpful technical knowledge. He took us to a quiet and beautiful garden and temple area, away from the crowds, and shared his knowledge of Japanese history and culture.
Excursion58125515356 –
A great time of photography in a unique location – it was a special time. I definitely would do it again to continue learning more and / or take other courses with Eye Explore.
SCHNYC –
Made beautiful photos in a unique environment, and learned a lot in the process! Very organized and clear instruction.
Sanjaya_Wijeyekoon –
After taking one of their sessions in Tokyo I arranged for two sessions in Kyoto. Paul was my guide and we had a superb day seeing some of the excellent hidden away sites that Kyoto has to offer. He provided some valuable insights into some of the technical aspects of photography and was also a great companion for the day when we discussed a range of topics. Many thanks for a brilliant and memorable day. Money well spent.
Adeline S –
I did 2 courses with EYExplore, both were highly enjoyable. The first was Inari after Dusk. Axel took me to secret spots primed for taking amazing shots. I especially liked the idea of using props (candles, fluorescent light, yellow light, piece of cloth etc) to make a good photo stand out more and become a great photo. In the second tour we went to Nanzenji temple and the area around it, it was peak autumn and a lot of Japanese people came to see the wonderful foliage. It was more of an impromptu session as the shots we took depended on the light, the people, the wild animals (fish in the pond, not boars…). What was really good as well was that I get to know my camera better, find hidden settings that I never used before, learn how to make good/interesting composition, learn new tricks like using flash to lighten up the foreground, etc. So I hope that from these lessons I’ll be able to take better photos in the future! But even if that’s not the case, I’ve gone home with great photos and memories from these 2 places.