Mono no Awareness

In Japan, we have a concept called Mono no Aware (物の哀れ). It describes our sensitivity to appreciate the ephemeral or the impermanence of things. As a foreigner Japanology student, I was fascinated with this concept because how similar Mono no Aware and street photography scenes are. Both are impermanent, beautiful, make you feel sadness or happiness and they can last only a few seconds and then, they disappear forever. I like to capture those moments with my camera and include a person who is aware of me taking their photo. But at the same time, they are not aware of their surroundings or the scene developing behind them. Sometimes, those scenes are beautiful, or unrepeatable, or even quirky and funny. They are mine now and they will remain forever, which is somewhat contradictory to the Mono no Aware concept. Mono no Aware + Awareness = Mono no Awareness