When I originally scheduled the Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin Meetup for my photography meetup, I was anticipating a normal spring sunrise: 50 to 60 degrees, maybe a little breeze. The hope was for a clear sunrise to get some really good light out on the blossoms and to perhaps beat the tourist crowds by a couple of minutes. Washington weather being what it is (wacky), conditions ended up being cloudy, snowing, and 32 degrees, with a wind chill factor of 24 degrees.
Seemed like the perfect morning to stay in and stay warm, but I’m glad I and a dozen-plus members made it out to the meetup. How often does one see snow on cherry blossoms?! By the time we wrapped up, my fingers were so cold, I was barely able to press the shutter button. Those readers who are familiar with the bone-chilling precipitation that falls in DC, be it snow or rain, you know what I’m talking about.
The results were well worth it though. Below is a selection of three cherry blossom photos taken near the paddle boat dock (across from the Jefferson Memorial) on the Tidal Basin and three tulip photos taken at the Tulip Library. A few more selections are available in my Cherry Blossoms (Snow) Meetup photo set and the Washington Photography Meetup photo pool on flickr.
Photos taken on a Canon Digital Rebel XT with a Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG MACRO lens.
