The Four Seasons of Autumn

A simple series of photos of my geisha friends during autumn. This is the first time we are seeing each other in 3 years as Japan remained closed to the world during the recent pandemic. The photo series has an element of sorrow and longing that belong to autumn - the geisha community was badly hit by the pandemic. Events were few and jobs were hard to come by. Of the 4 seasons, autumn is deemed by Asians to be the most pessimistic, because after autumn comes winter. Then there is the geishas and their idealized beauty, all unchanged for several hundred years. These beautiful ladies provide a living link to the history of Japan. They are guardians of a complex set of traditions and rituals that make up this sophisticated Japanese culture. And this beauty is probably most pronounced when combined with the autumn scenery in Kyoto. The biggest feature of this photo series is to constantly find a sense of balance... I have known some of these ladies for as long as 9 years now, after the pandemic, we have all learnt to cherish whatever we have and each other more...