After a long career as an interventional radiologist in Dallas, Texas, Norm Diamond (b. 1948) transformed his love of photography into a second career. Here are photographs from his latest project, described below. See this page for a fuller biography.

Recently I became interested in Japanese aesthetics in art. There are a number of different forms, many of which began centuries ago. The one I am drawn to is mono-no-aware (mo NO no ah WHAR ay). Roughly translated it means the “pathos of things.” More modern definitions, such as the following, describe how it is used today.

"Mono-no-aware often equates to the sensitivity or empathy towards things, capturing the fleeting nature of life, the sublime sadness and appreciation for the transience of beauty. It’s a bittersweet acknowledgment of the impermanence that defines our existence."

The classic example is the transient wonder of cherry blossoms that come and go each year in Japan. Keep in mind that the term is not a rigid one. That which is impermanent may be moments long or years in the making.