The Seattle Arboretum is a glorious place to wander year around, but in the spring, the rows and rows of flowering trees are wonders to behold.
I often led many nature photography tours in and around Seattle’s most famous park, a long green belt that starts near the University of Washington and Museum of History and Industry, along the ship canals between Lake Union and Lake Washington, and runs for 230 acres along the Lake Washington waterfront, all the way to Madison Park area.
This was taken many years ago during one of the first photo excursions I led to the Arboretum. I had set up my camera for the participants and students to see how they could control the background by using the blossoms of the tree itself to frame the petals of interest, creating a blur of pastels. Along the way, I snapped a few pictures as teaching slides, but this particular one fascinated me.
This image has been used on book covers, posters, note cards, and just as artwork in addition to it holding a special place in many of my photography workshops and classes. It makes a great teaching point, but it is also just lovely to look at.
Just reminds me that you never know when you press the shutter, what the future of that image will bring.