Just sharing some images from the recent Cherry Blossom season in Washington, DC. Definitely my favorite time to shoot in DC, despite the crowds.
I'm particularly fond of the first two, but I think I prefer the mood and pinks and purples in the first more. With identical compositions, which do you like better?
Criticism and suggestions are much appreicated!
Grats on a great day of shooting, Josh. I agree with your preference for the pinks & purples between images 1 & 2.
My favorite shot is actually #8. It makes the scene about the cherry blossoms and the monument gives you the location & context. Time of day could be more dynamic, I suppose, but then again, too much color in the sky would take attention from the cherry blossoms.
Thanks Robert! Yeah, I didn’t have high hopes for #8 when I was shooting, but I loved the way the light was hitting them and wanted to find a composition to accentuate it. It was taken pretty close in time to the one before it—maybe 45 minutes or so after sunrise, but with heavy clouds over most of the sky Except for a hole where the sun was rising.
Josh do you happen to know Larry McCormick i follow him on instagram he's also had great luck with these shots this year i tried to fit it in my schedule but just didn't happen ...great shots
Thanks Joseph! I haven’t had an opportunity to meet Larry, but do follow him on Instagram based on your suggestion on a previous post. Definitely good inspiration for photography opportunities around DC! If you’re willing to brave the crowds then cherry blossom season is definitely worth a trip down if you get the opportunity next year.
the blooms look beautiful this year I'm super bummed
Yeah, the weather definitely cooperated this year--I was actually out of town for "peak bloom" but was still happy with the results a few days after. The good thing is the trees aren't going anywhere, so you can always come down next year!
They're all very enjoyable images, Josh! You have an eye for interesting composition. I agree with you about the first two, but like the added drama, or at least less obvious "take" on the scene in the eighth. Must have been a pleasant & satisfying couple of evenings!
Anorak Q: did you focus-stack for some?
Thanks Chris, I'm glad you enjoyed some of the other compositions! It was definitely a great couple days of shooting.
None of them are focused stacked, and they're all single exposures. I've never done much focus stacking, but looking back I wish I'd gotten frames that would give me that option, particularly for #4 and #5. For those shots I think I would have liked to have the Jefferson memorial either tack sharp or a little more blurred. As it stands now I think it occupies an awkward space between the two. Hard to say definitively without actually seeing the finished product, but it would have been nice to have the option in post. It was a little later after sunrise at that point and the crowds were out in full force, so I had switched to a 50mm shooting handheld (hence the more textured water and no motion blur in the branches with the faster shutter speed).
I like the first one, too, for the same reasons. The clouds are making great colors!
I also like the simplicity of the third photo. The sky and water are rather main subject there than the cherry blossoms, but cool abstract photo!
I love cherry blossoms, too. I make a timelapse video of cherry blossoms around my home country, Japan. I'd appreciate if you check it out. https://vimeo.com/167744062
Thanks Hideto, you're right about the third. I like it too, but it's definitely not as focused on the cherry blossoms as the others.
Great work on the time lapse! I particularly enjoyed some of the transitions from day to night and vice versa. I hope to one day be in Japan for cherry blossom season--it looks gorgeous!