This project was inspired by Japanese aesthetics and explores impermanence and transient beauty through contemplative street and landscape photography across Japan.
Photographed over 14 years and multiple visits to Japan, McKenna’s work draws on the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi — finding beauty in imperfection and the transient — inviting viewers to slow down and reflect on subtle details that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Each image is a fragment of time — unposed and unrepeatable — the record of a moment caught before it disappeared forever.
Three aspects of impermanence are explored throughout the collection:
Kage (影 – Shadow). Shadows are often the most ephemeral part of a scene. Constantly changing, they offer us a way to see impermanence played out before our eyes. These images capture the subtle beauty of shadow.
A-un (阿吽 – Inhale and Exhale / Unspoken Harmony). Representing the Japanese concept of first and last, these images seek to capture brave new beginnings and poignant ends, woven together to reveal they are really one and the same.
Ichigo Ichie (一期一会 – One Time, One Meeting). These images would be difficult, if not impossible, to replicate. As a one of a kind snapshot of an instant in time they are, by definition, "transient moments".
Sparse captions appear beside the photographs, with a deeper narrative — 追憶の書 (Tsuioku no Sho) — The Book of Reminiscence — available as an appendix, exploring the ideas and philosophy behind each image.
Please note the book will NOT ship until AFTER the pre-order period has ended.
(Estimated delivery date is late January / early February 2026)
Limited edition (200 copies only)
Pre-orders will continue periodically until all limited edition copies have been sold.
Book specification:
297mm x 210mm, case bound photo book (landscape)
2× 4pp end papers, unprinted on 170gsm uncoated paper.
Cover featuring foiled logo (Enso) onto 170gsm silk wrap.
Matt laminated outer covers.
90 pages inside, printed entirely in black & white onto 160gsm matt.
Featuring 80 images.