Martin Luther King, Jr. and cherry blossoms

April 23, 2016  •  Leave a Comment

The Visionary Framed By BlossomsThe Visionary Framed By BlossomsThe statute of Martin Luther King, Jr., framed by cherry blossoms, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

I have a couple of additional cherry blossom photos to share with everyone. I like this one (above) of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, framed by cherry blossoms. The following is a photo of a cherry tree at the Tidal Basin in bloom, but from a high vantage point. I like the mix of color and the unusual perspective.

The Start of SpringThe Start of SpringA yoshino cherry tree begins to blossom at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

Happy spring, everyone!


Tidal Basin in full bloom

April 05, 2016  •  1 Comment

Friendship and Good WillFriendship and Good WillMorning at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., while the yoshino cherry trees are in full bloom. A nearby plaque from the National Capital Sesquicentenial Commisson of 1950 reads: "The first Japanese cherry trees presented to the City of Washington as a gesture of friendship and good will by the city of Tokyo, were planted on this site, March 27, 1912. In my last blog post, I featured a photo taken just before the cherry trees at the Tidal Basin had reached peak bloom. And here we are above, just two days later, with the cherry trees in full bloom. Of course, as you can see in the following, not quite all of the blossoms had opened, but enough were open for the National Park Service to consider the Tidal Basin in full bloom.

Open and ClosedOpen and ClosedBlossoms from a yoshino cherry tree. When I'm at the Tidal Basin, I mostly shoot scenic landscapes, but I do also like close-ups of the blossoms.

Blossoms over WaterBlossoms over WaterBlossoms from a yoshino cherry tree extend over water.

In another recent post, I presented a scenic photo of the Tidal Basin just before sunrise, when the Tidal Basin hadn't yet reached full bloom (March 22). Here's a similarly framed shot taken on March 24th, the first day of full bloom. What a difference two days can make!

Pink Skies and Full BloomPink Skies and Full BloomPink skies over the Tidal Basin and Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., while the yoshino cherry trees are in full bloom.


Quiet mornings at the Tidal Basin

March 30, 2016  •  Leave a Comment

A Burst of PinkA Burst of PinkPink and white cherry blossoms burst forth around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., just days before peak bloom. The cherry blossom bloom at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., can be magical. I look forward to it every year. Sometimes the weather is down-right awful—and those are some of the best times to visit. When I took the photo above, it was 36 degrees. That's hardly the kind of temperature that you would expect in the spring. But on a weekday morning, the frigid temperatures keep the crowds away and allow one to appreciate the the tranquil beauty of the time and place.


The cherry blossoms are coming!

March 27, 2016  •  Leave a Comment

Pink Rising Over WashingtonPink Rising Over WashingtonA gorgeaous pink sunrise at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, just days before peak bloom for the cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms are coming! Actually, that was true when I took this photo on Tuesday, but it has taken me several days to process the photo. Peak bloom started on Thursday and they will all be gone soon. Don't worry if you missed the blossoms this year; I will be posting several photos over the next couple of weeks.


Snow in Rock Creek Park

February 08, 2016  •  Leave a Comment

When I heard, before the storm, that we were going to get some snow, I got excited. I thought I might drive out to Shenandoah to shoot a sunrise with snow covering the Blue Ridge Mountains. But, in Washington, DC, we got hit with a whopping 22 inches of snow in just one weekend! There was no way that I would be able to get out of town. The city was completely buried.

So, I decided to shoot local. Last week, I posted some images that I shot at the Tidal Basin shortly after Snowzilla, the great Washington snowstorm of 2016. But I really wanted to shoot some snow in a wilderness setting. Fortunately for me, we have a bit of wilderness right in the heart of Washington, namely Rock Creek Park.

Boulder Bridge with snowBoulder Bridge with snowBoulder Bridge and Rock Creek in Washington, DC, covered in deep snow. My first stop was to Boulder Bridge, one of the most iconic features of Rock Creek Park. It wasn't very easy getting there with all the snow, but it was worth it. The creek was mostly frozen over, which allowed me to get the shot above without getting swept away in the rapids. I think the amount of snow and the unusual vantage point make the photo unique and quite compelling.

I took this next photo of the creek from Rapids Bridge. The height gave me a nice perspective and you can see just how much snow we received.

Rock Creek with snowRock Creek with snowSnow and ice cover Rock Creek in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC. I took lots of photos of the snow in Rock Creek Park, but I normally prefer only to post one or two at a time. However, I like this next one as well, so I'm posting a third. It's a classic shot of Boulder Bridge, but with snow and this time with a bit more blue sky.

Blue skies over snow-covered Boulder BridgeBlue skies over snow-covered Boulder BridgeBlue skies over a snow-covered Boulder Bridge and Rock Creek in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC.

With all this snow and ice, the creek looks a bit tame. However, in the parts I've been shooting, it's anything but tame. For a fun comparison, here are two photos I took of the creek a couple of years ago in the early fall:

Fall Color at Rock CreekFall Color at Rock CreekFall foliage around Rock Creek in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC. Autumn at Rock CreekAutumn at Rock CreekFall foliage around Rock Creek in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC.

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