Diligent followers of my blog will know that I am fond of crows, and often stop off at Heiwa Koen on my way to school in the mornings to photograph them. Usually, I use my long lens for this so I can have the crows be larger in the frame. But, one morning last week, I decided to change my routine and went to Heiwa Koen with only my 50mm lens, and a plan to photograph things other than crows. I only have about 20 minutes for these morning sessions, so I usually just stick to one small area of the park. I lock up my bike, pull out my camera, and see what I can see. During early spring and late fall, I often head for the trees to get photos of the cherry blossoms or fall colors, but this time I decided to just walk around among the gravestones, and look for small details, like kanji etched in stone, and cobwebs on bushes that remind me of trees enshrouded in fog..

There are also various Jizo statues throughout the cemetery, there to help people with their health, success in life, childbirth... I always enjoy their calm presence.

As well, there are plants and flowers in and around the gravestones, some planted by park visitors, and some natural. In the background of the photo with the butterfly is the Muen-zuka, a burial mound for people who died without relatives to pay for and tend to their graves. It is surrounded by flowers and Jizo to watch over the ashes of the forgotten souls within.

Limiting myself to a particular lens and area makes me work harder to find things of interest, and to look for patterns or perspectives that I might not notice at first glance, like this splash of green showing through a hole in a small stone monument in the park. (Of course, there were also crows, but having only my 50 made it easier to not obsess on them.)