Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
The Zen of Birch and Bonsai

Having survived the Covid19 Pandemic over the past two years, we've learned (the hard way) to live a much simpler life of love, hope and gratitude. As I walked along a neighborhood street, I could feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, and the serenity of the empty sidewalk before me. That's when I saw the beauty of a soft shadow cast onto the harsh cement on the sidewalk. It's as if the sun transformed this skinny, white birch tree, into a beautiful "bonsai" tree with a heart right at the center of the shrubbery. This was truly a "stars and the moon aligned" moment. Realizing this was a fleeting moment and the image would fade way or transform into something else shortly from the sun's movement, I captured a photo of what I saw so that I'd be reminded of my moment of Zen on that random day.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States of America
Camera: iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Copyright: © Donna Lau