Pouring down - maiko protecting herself from the heavy rain, Kyoto.

Weather Photographer of the Year 2019 Photo Contest – Shortlisted! 

I have just received the following message from the  Royal Meteorological Society in London!  What a surprise and what an honor!

Dear WPotY 2019 Entrant,

 
I would like to inform and congratulate you on being selected for our Weather Photographer of the Year 2019 shortlist!
 
The public voting is now closed and the photo was #9  of the shortlist of 24 photographs.  
The photo was taken in the street where I live in the Miyagawa-Cho Hanamachi or Flower Town, one of the five geisha districts of  Kyoto. As I especially like the way the maiko and geiko (geisha of Kyoto) look when holding their “bangasa” traditional waxed silk umbrella, I often go out with a camera when it rains. This day, it was really pouring down and I got lucky to see this maiko coming my way.
I went down a bit to get the angle I wanted and took this photo. I will always remember the smile on the girl’s face looking at me, drenched, as she walked by.