StreetPhotography: Mono No Aware (Pathos): Contemplating the Fleeting Beauty...

Mono No Aware (Pathos): Contemplating the Fleeting Beauty and elegance in action.

Street Photography from Yokohama (Japan) during Hanami (Cherry blossom when the Sakura is at its peak).

The objective here was to freeze the moment yet retain some movement on the main subject (the hair of the woman, the dress, the shoe) to make the photo dynamic and more interesting.

The woman walking out of frame was done intentionally to give the impression that she was leaving (this is the full image, not a crop). Also note that she is not a model but just someone walking by.

These elements were combined to convey a feeling of fleeting beauty and elegance... no beauty will last forever, and the Sakura/Hanami itself is a symbol of the transience of beauty in Japanese culture.