The judges found that it was easy to step into the mind of the photographer. A moment of silence and contemplation is provided for the reader.

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Capturing the Zen Spirit
by Michael H. Lester

Since a bamboo grove is relatively open and airy, you can get lost in one only if you put your mind to it, which is (figuratively speaking) precisely what I plan to do.

On a visit to Kyoto, I load my camera equipment into the car and set out before dawn for Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. I hope to get a photograph there without a gathering of open-mouthed tourists crowding the steps through the grove.

morning light
filters through the bamboo—
a stray skylark

Lifting the collar of my jacket against the chill, I place my camera on a tripod, adjust the settings, and wait for sunrise. A Zen-like sense of well-being sweeps across my body in this mystical place.

After having taken several atmospheric photographs of the bamboo grove, I head over to the nearly 800-year-old Tenryu-Ji Temple where I hope to be lucky enough to capture a photograph of the spirit of Emperor Go-Daigo.

a cormorant
dips its head in the pond—
my shutter clicks