10 Gallons of Blossoms on a 5-Gallon Branch
10 Gallons of Blossoms on a 5-Gallon Branch -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2007 Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D200 + Sigma 30mm f/1.4 — 1/350 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100 — full exif & map
10 Gallons of Blossoms on a 5-Gallon Branch

Imagine taking 10 gallons of white and pink blossoms, and forcefully shoving them onto a branch capable of holding at most half that amount, and that's the feeling you currently get from two trees in my neighborhood.

Approaching Critical Mass -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2007 Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Approaching Critical Mass

I don't know what kind of trees these are. If they are cherry trees, they're blooming long after all the other cherry trees in this neighborhood.

Update: thanks to Aaron and Andy for identifying them as “yaezakura” or “botanzakura” cherry blossoms.

Current State of Most Cherry Trees Around Here -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2007 Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 170mm — 1/400 sec, f/4, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Current State of Most Cherry Trees Around Here

These blossoms range from almost pure white to a mildly deep, rich pink, often the whole range being found on a single branch. Yet, they seem to congregate in cliquish bundles of like-minded blossoms, with one pom-pom's worth mostly one shade, and the neighboring one another. Perhaps they were high-school girls in a former life?

— full exif & map — nearby photos White? Pink? Why not Both ! -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2007 Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8 @ 44mm — 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200, P.P. boost: +0.20EVfull exif & mapnearby photos
White? Pink? Why not Both!

From afar, the trees look to be adorned with enormous, discrete puffs of pinkish cotton or pom-poms, as if these trees were populated by gaggles of 9-year-old girls fresh from the mall, invisible except for their hair decorations.

Tree #1, From Afar -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2007 Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/180 sec, f/8, ISO 200 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Tree #1, From Afar
An Edge of Tree #2 -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2007 Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320 — full exif & mapnearby photos
An Edge of Tree #2

The individual blossoms are huge... perhaps two inches across (substantially larger, deeper, and more full than common cherry blossoms). Huge quantities of these two-inch blossoms are then grouped tightly to form pom-pom-like clusters. Close up, they appear quite fake, as if an overly crafty Martha-Stewart-type made them from vast quantities of the most pretty, delicate crepe paper.

The pom-poms seem to be more tightly bunched (if that's at all possible) on the second tree compared to the first. There's a definite difference in overall look and feel between the two, as can perhaps be seen when comparing the first two pictures on this post.


Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 95mm — 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 320 — full exif & map
Martha's Handiwork?

I tried some pseudo-macro work by interposing a Kenko 12mm extension tube between my D200 and my Sigma 30mm f/1.4. The resulting magnification doesn't quite reach the 1:1 ratio required to be called “macro,” but the blossoms fill the frame well enough.

“I am Blossom. Worship Me!” -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2007 Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D200 + Sigma 30mm f/1.4 + 12mm extension tube — 1/350 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100 — full exif & mapnearby photos
I am Blossom. Worship Me!”

I don't have any experience with macro photography, except when I put a bunch of extension tubes on my Nikkor 70-200/2.8 the other day (see the last two pictures on this blossoms and buds post). The picture above was taken while I was straining to be three inches taller, on my tiptoes, holding the blossom steady with one hand, the camera in the other, and focusing by adjusting my distance from the blossom. Rube Goldberg would have been proud.

The result is not too bad for such a cheap solution. It had some pretty severe chromatic aberration in the upper-left corner, but that was tamed to a good extent in Adobe Lightroom by slapping both chromatic-aberration sliders to their max.

I took the pictures shown here yesterday. This morning on the drive to preschool, while waiting at a traffic light, I noticed that a roadside shrub right outside the window had the most wonderful, vibrantly red/pink flowers on them. I want to foster in Anthony an appreciation of nature and of beauty, so this short exchange ensued:

Me:Wow, Anthony, look at those flowers. Aren't they beautiful!?
Anthony:I know you want to take a picture of it. You do.

Ah, he knows me well. More blossom posts here.


All 6 comments so far, oldest first...

I think those are called ‘botanzakura’….not totally sure.

I enjoy seeing all the wonderful photos you publish here – keep it up!

— comment by Aaron on April 25th, 2007 at 4:12pm JST (17 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Hi Jeffrey,

Looks like the voluptuously sensuous multi-petaled late-bloomer called “yaezakura” (八重櫻) that comes in rose pink, crimson, pastel yellow, and other flavors. It’s nickname is botanzakura (牡丹櫻), which translates literally as “peony cherry.”

Here’s what Kojien(広辞苑 第五版) has to say:

重弁の花の咲く、サトザクラの品種群。他の桜におくれて開花。花色は淡紅・紅・淡黄色などを呈し、濃艶。ボタンザクラ。

Cheers … and, indeed, keep publishing the great photos!

— comment by Andy on April 25th, 2007 at 9:46pm JST (17 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

I like An Edge of Tree #2. Stands out. I could almost feel the enviroment by looking at it. Rest of them are just Spring. But that one I like, really.

— comment by Reinis on April 26th, 2007 at 5:20pm JST (17 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Great pics! I have always wanted to travel to Japan, your culture is one to be proud of.
I am in St. Augustine, Florida USA

— comment by Elizabeth on March 30th, 2011 at 10:26pm JST (13 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

I love your pics, especialy the momoji…..it’s so wonderful..
There’s no momiji in my place and of course there’s no autumn too coz i live in Indonesia which is the tropical country.

— comment by Tea Piran on November 22nd, 2012 at 8:11pm JST (11 years, 11 months ago) comment permalink

I moved into a house and this beautiful pink flowering bush flowered and now it looks like it’s dying. What should I do it’s such a beautiful flower.

— comment by Nancy on May 28th, 2018 at 12:51am JST (6 years, 5 months ago) comment permalink
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