Awakening

I shoot a lot of DC scenes -- to satisfy the local community and generate interest in my other work :) -- so I'm happy we made this new forum.

Here's my fav, from last Spring.
---

For only a handful of days per year, cherry blossoms are at full bloom. A harkening of spring, these beautiful flowers quickly give way to the greater green.

There may no better place in the world to witness these trees than in our Nation’s Capital — a reason that it holds an annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The Tidal Basin, with its grand vistas to our most treasured National Monuments, is lined from end to end with these gorgeous beings.

For less than 10 days, one has the opportunity to witness these blossoms in full bloom. On one of those 10 days, you would be lucky to find conditions where high winds move clouds, but do not move the low lying blossom branches. On such a day, long exposures can exemplify the beauty of these trees.

And as soon as this scene comes to being, it fades away. The blossom only lasts so long; signs of its fleeting nature are apparent, as expired blossoms fall to the Earth.

Just like the dawn, our appreciation of the blossoms comes not just from their explicit grace, but their momentary nature. And while we should appreciate the moment that will pass, we should also rejoice in the awakening that will follow.

---

Canon 5d Mark II, EF 17-40mm/4L at 17mm, 30 sec, ISO 400