Each Spring, in March and April, Japan celebrates the Festival of the Cherry Blossom , or Sakura. It is a time for festivities, as well as a time for cultural reflection.Meticulously landscaped parks allow for such reflection, ansd help highlight the transient, fragile beauty of the blossom.

This scene, in the cultural city of Kyoto, exemplifies the elegant simplicity of this art form. The cloudy day and hint of rain adds to the quietness and delicacy of the setting.

The original photo shows how this corner of the park looked on this day. To achieve this look, I used a Photoshop Cutout filter, on a layer over the original picture, sharpened slightly. I then used the eraser tool, set to Transparent, and removed some of the poster layer to reveal the actual image below. The best effect was achieved by limiting the reveal to the Sakura tree and some of the closer rocks.