{"id":1174,"date":"2009-04-01T22:30:25","date_gmt":"2009-04-01T13:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2009-04-01\/1174"},"modified":"2009-04-01T22:30:25","modified_gmt":"2009-04-01T13:30:25","slug":"cherry-blossom-snow-and-some-so-so-desktop-backgrounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2009-04-01\/1174","title":{"rendered":"Cherry-Blossom “Snow”, and Some So-So Desktop Backgrounds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 190 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCherry-Blossom “Snow”<\/span>\nfrom last year\n<\/div>\n\n

This year's cherry blossom season in Kyoto is turning out quite odd, or,\nat least it seem so to my limited experience. Last week, matching up how\nthe blossoms were shaping up compared to how they were in the month-long cherry-blossom timelapse<\/a> I\nposted<\/span> last year, it seemed that this year was a couple<\/span> of days ahead, and\nindeed, one of the trees outside my window is getting full of blossoms.<\/p>\n\n

But I was out and about quite a bit<\/span> today, and from what I could<\/span> tell,\nmost trees were nowhere near as far along. Some trees had no blossoms at\nall. One reason, perhaps, is that it's been quite cold for the last week,\nwith evening temperatures dipping into the low forties, not getting much\nhigher during some days (like today) than the low fifties.<\/p>\n\n

Anyway, here are some pictures from last April 7th, from a fountain<\/span> near\nthe park where Anthony likes to ride his bike. That day was overcast, sort\nof gloomy day, but cherry blossoms can brighten anything up. I posted<\/span> just\na few<\/span> photos that day (Just Like That, Kyoto's\nCherry-Blossom Season Ends<\/a>), but posted some others from\nthe day<\/a> later in the fall.<\/p>\n\n

And now a few more today. In the shot<\/span> below, you can see Anthony riding\nhis bike next to a fountain.<\/span> You can see<\/span> all the cherry-blossom petals\naccumulating everywhere, including the edge of the grass next to him...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The blossom petals that fell into the water were pushed by the brisk\nwind to the far end of the fountain....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 23 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>180 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The view when you got up close was pretty...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 55 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/9, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFloating Cherry-Blossom Petals<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I suspected that a straight-down shot might make for an interesting\ndesktop-background image, so I took<\/span> a few<\/span> different types...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 55 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBed of Blossoms<\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n\n\nStandard: 1024×<\/span>768<\/a>  ·  1440×<\/span>1080<\/a>  ·  1600×<\/span>1200<\/a><\/small>     <\/span>\nWidescreen:  1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a><\/small><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Unfortunately, the blossoms turn brown as they start to go bad, and that\nsort of mars the composition. Or not, depending on your view. Personally, I'd like it<\/span> much better with just pure, fluffy petals.<\/p>\n\n

Here's a less close-up view..<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 55 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>180 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMiddle-Close View<\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n\n\nStandard: 1024×<\/span>768<\/a>  ·  1440×<\/span>1080<\/a>  ·  1600×<\/span>1200<\/a><\/small>     <\/span>\nWidescreen:  1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a><\/small><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

For the one above, I spent<\/span> a few<\/span> minutes clicking on the clone tool in\nLightroom to hide the most egregious brown spots, but I don't<\/span> know that it\nwas worth it, because the result is just a different<\/span> degree of “not pure”.<\/p>\n\n

FWIW, here's a pulled-back view...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 34 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>180 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPulled-Back View<\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n\n\nStandard: 1024×<\/span>768<\/a>  ·  1440×<\/span>1080<\/a>  ·  1600×<\/span>1200<\/a><\/small>     <\/span>\nWidescreen:  1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a><\/small><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCherry-Blossom Petal Inspection Service<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSomewhat Mesmerizing<\/span>\nfor some reason\n<\/div>\n\n

Here's a view with more water and fewer petals....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLess Dense<\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n\n\nStandard: 1024×<\/span>768<\/a>  ·  1440×<\/span>1080<\/a>  ·  1600×<\/span>1200<\/a><\/small>     <\/span>\nWidescreen:  1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a><\/small><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

I don't know that any of these are particularly interesting as desktop\nbackgrounds, but since I took<\/span> them, I thought<\/span> I'd share them.<\/p>\n\n

Here's a shot from the same location, looking past the park through to\nthe main gate of the Heian Shrine...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Those trees don't have any blossoms yet this year. Nor does the<\/span> big tree\nin the middle of the park, which was at full bloom 51 weeks ago...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

So, it seems like things will be a bit<\/span> later this year, although\neveryone was saying that it would be early this year. We'll see. As it looks<\/span> now, Easter weekend is shaping up to be the main event this year.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year's cherry blossom season in Kyoto is turning out quite odd, or, at least it seem so to my limited experience. Last week, matching up how the blossoms were shaping up compared to how they were in the month-long cherry-blossom timelapse I posted last year, it seemed that this year was a couple of days ahead, and indeed, one of the trees outside my window is getting full of blossoms.<\/p>

But I was out and about quite a bit today, and from what I could tell, most trees were nowhere near as far along. Some trees had no blossoms [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,8,1,2,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}