Twitter is alight with delight over this stunning shot of a kimono-clad girl and her dainty deer friend.

The power of skillful photography is such that you can be struck breathless by a city scene from halfway across the world, or a even peek into the lives of those who lived long ago.

Occasionally a photographer snaps such a stunning shot that it causes all who see it to hold their breath, and Japanese hobby photographer saizou has captured an especially mesmerizing example.

Using a powerful camera lens, saizou presented a luxurious autumn image: streaming golden light, leaves painted in dusky hues of red and gold, and the focus of the piece, a pretty young lady in a kimono approaching one of Nara’s famous deer.

▼ “While photographing the fall leaves in Nara, I happened upon this scene right out of a storybook.”

The resulting photograph looks more like a still frame from a fantasy film: fantastically unreal. What could even be happening here? A princess communing with one of her forest familiars? A young girl receiving her quest from an emissary of nature? The picture is not only gorgeous to look at but incredibly stimulating to the imagination.

▼ The same shot as shared by the model in the photo, Reina Onishi (translation below).

“This photograph has really startled me with how far it managed to spread. This photo earned 350,000 likes on Twitter, along with 74,000 retweets… 🥺
I was born in Nara, and in fact the ‘na’ in my name is written with the same kanji as the ‘na’ in Nara. It feels like fate, somehow…🦌
All kinds of people have shared their comments, and I’m so happy to know you all saw this picture.
I hope I can happen on a place like this again someday, someplace where a story is bound to unfold….
My photographer was saizo. If we encounter each other again at some point, please take my photograph again ☺︎”

Naturally, with such a widespread social media impact, the photograph earned a lot of praising comments:

“Beautiful. I feel like I’m looking into a scene from a legend.”
“When I caught sight of it before I thought, ‘Huh? Is that a painting?‘. That’s how pretty it is!”
“A gorgeous, ethereal photograph. As a Nara resident, thank you for taking such a picture of one of Nara’s highlights!”
“Brb, going to Nara Park.”

Investigating saizou’s social media reveals a treasure trove of similarly breath-taking photographs, depicting everything from statuesque temples to haunting winter landscapes to yawning, endless fields of flowers.

▼ Taken at Nachi Falls in Nachikatsura, Wakayama.

▼ The “Blue Pond” (Aoi-ike) in Biei, Hokkaido.

▼ A gorgeous shot of the Hakuba mountains and tulips in Toyama prefecture.

Of course, Twitter is a great place to find all kinds of stunning photographs besides just this one. Keep an eye out for hashtag challenges and search up your favorite shrines or photogenic, seasonal occasions!

Source: Twitter/@saizou4 via Japaaan Magazine
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