Cherry Blossom Photography Diary: A Spring in Bloom
Each year, spring brings a quiet kind of magic—a soft unfolding of life after months of stillness. As a photographer, it's my favourite season to wander with my camera. This year, I followed the petals—from cherry blossoms to crabapple blooms to vibrant tulips—capturing the rhythm of spring through my lens.
This blog post is a visual diary of that journey.
The season began with the delicate pink clouds of cherry blossoms. I visited familiar spots like High Park in Toronto and hidden corners in Ottawa, arriving early to catch the soft light and stillness before the crowds.
Cherry blossoms never stay long. Part of their beauty lies in their brief presence. I focused on capturing the lightness and emotion of the scene—gentle breezes, fallen petals, people quietly admiring the trees. I used my Fujinon 90mm f2 for tight compositions, isolating blossoms against dreamy backgrounds, and my 23mm f2 for wider, story-rich frames.
Soon after the sakura faded, crabapple flowers took the stage. They offered deeper pink tones and denser clusters, with a moodier feel that I loved exploring. These blossoms brought a different energy—wilder, more spontaneous. I experimented with closeups, layering foreground blooms and letting the background melt into pastel bokeh.
The crabapple trees seemed less refined, more expressive. I embraced that character in how I shot—handheld, low angles, using natural shadows for contrast.
TULIP FESTIVAL
By May, tulips bloomed in full force, especially during Ottawa’s Canadian Tulip Festival. Their upright shapes, vivid colours, and clean lines offered a striking contrast to the delicate blossoms earlier in the season.
Tulips feel graphic, almost architectural. I leaned into that with symmetrical framing, center-weighted compositions, and bold colour pairings. The challenge was capturing their beauty without it feeling too staged. I waited for overcast skies or golden hour to soften the look.
This spring reminded me to slow down, observe, and let nature guide the narrative. There’s a quiet joy in following the blooms—watching how they change from week to week, how the light dances on their petals, and how people interact with them.
