cherry blossoms in bloom

The original forecast called for the blossoms to be in peak bloom on 27-28 March. Considering Monday 27 March was going to be the only sunny day this week, I felt inspired enough to pull myself out of a warm and comfortable bed at 4:30 in the morning to endure 30-something degree temperatures to catch the sunrise and get the best lighting for some photos (before going to work). Not to mention, the tourists (literally from all over the world) usually don't swarm the Tidal Basin at six in the morning. Turns out the blossoms were not in full bloom and the forecast has since changed to predict full bloom on Thursday 30 March. The lighting did end up being fairly good though -- not as harsh as midday sun -- and it was so serene having the whole Tidal Basin to myself for a little while. Out of the 100+ practice shots I took, here are five of the better ones:


Cherry Blossom Detail


Jefferson Memorial


View along the Tidal Basin


Washington Monument


Tidal Basin