Dualities

Spring is the season of energy and power, of vigor, of vitality, of strength, of new beginnings, of starting fresh. Nature is in full bloom and puts all what it has to offer on display. Even we as human beings, through technology and cultural means seemingly rather far away from nature these days, begin to feel that change. Our hormones escalate, we feel restless and full of inner turmoil, we may feel younger and more energetic and have the collective feeling that something new is going to arise. Actually the new year starts during springtime, regardless of what date it is.

1/6173 s, f/1.78, ISO 80, 24 mm, iPhone 17 Pro Max

1/7 s, f/1.78, ISO 64, 24 mm, iPhone 17 Pro Max

In many areas of the world the cherry blossom season marks that beginning of the new year. These fleeting days, sometimes weeks, are so omnipresent that they've become a marker to me as well. Here at this point all of the old year, the old problems, the old mistakes are gone and forgotten and it's time for something new. Often it's a creative phase where I feel more open and accessible to new ideas, new structures, new elements or people in my life. It can be a rather exciting time.

1/6536 s, f/1.78, ISO 64, 48 mm, iPhone 17 Pro Max

1/10 s, f/1.78, ISO 160, 24 mm, iPhone 17 Pro Max

Though, the older I get this kind of excitement is also something that starts bothering me. There's so much going on, so much is changing, all what has been safe and secure all of a sudden becomes vague and debatable again. Discussions start to arise, new ideas question the old approaches. It sometimes can be hard and tough to balance those counteracting forces in the right way. How much newness is desirable, how much is too much. And how much can I stand personally.

1/6024 s, f/1.78, ISO 80, 48 mm, iPhone 17 Pro Max

1/40 s, f/1.78, ISO 1000, 24 mm, iPhone 17 Pro Max

The images I've chosen for this post collect and contrast these dualities both on a very universal but also on a very personal level. On the one hand there are these remarkable cherry blossom trees. So pure, so white, so delicate and yet so full of energy. They seem to scream a huge "Hello world!" to the world and nothing can stop them. This year I managed to pick a day with a crystal blue sky, so there's this contrast of white against blue that sometimes can be even too harsh. But sometimes it feels just right.

1/1305 s, f/2.2, ISO 16, 24 mm, iPhone 17 Pro Max

1/1000 s, f/1.78, ISO 125, 24 mm, iPhone 17 Pro Max

On the other hand there are these seemingly random pictures of a reddish flooring I see each and every day. It's an old flooring, still in good shape, but definitely a reminder of the past. It's something that's old but is not yet forgotten. It does its job and it does it beautifully every single day. The sharp rays of light on this floor only happen during springtime. Only during that time of the year the rays of the sun start shining in the right angle from the right height directly onto that floor. The contrast, the crystal clear edges and just the sheer brightness of the light are always remarkable to me.

As much as I adore the youth and beauty of those white cherry blossoms, in a way I feel equally delighted by those patterns of light on this old, red flooring. Both are markers, both work as reminders. The old and the new can be equally beautiful. And life is a cycle, everything comes back to you, over and over again.