Cherry Blossoms, Tidal Basin, Golden Hour

Cherry Blossoms, Tidal Basin, Golden Hour

Must say, I kept my expectations well in check when I returned to the Cherry Blossoms Friday afternoon.
Between heavy rains and high winds intervening on multiple days since my Monday visit, I wasn't too optimistic
over just how much of this delicate beauty would be left on those Yoshino Cherry Trees along the Tidal Basin.

I needn't have worried; this year's crop of blossoms has definitely been a hardy one (in addition to even peaking early), especially considering Friday was already twelve days past peak bloom. While there were petals to be seen floating on the water, probably casualties of the high winds with which the day began, there were still ample clusters on the trees, looking lovely in the glow of late afternoon sunshine.

Thus, lots of reasons to linger, with both digital and film cameras. I like to think of this one as a
sort of "cross-pollination" of the two, as it was shot on a digital SLR through a favorite film-era
lens for nature motifs, the 13-blade iris KMZ Helios-44 58mm f/2.

©2024 Steve Ember