If you have your Picture This Photography Calendar this is your March 2024 collection of images “Spring has Sprung”
Spring in New York is a beautiful sight to see! When that first pop of colour is spotted after a grey & dismal winter is is a sign of hope that better days are ahead and nature is awakening.
This collection of images are captured from some of the blossom & magnolia favourite spots in NY, save this for your next visit.
Photographing natural colour in daylight required a balancing of light to capture detail without over/under exposing colour, add to the mix the many layers contained within the foreground and background means also choosing correct depth of field and a suitable focal point. I find great joy in zooming in on the detail to capture colour, detail and texture to fill the frame.
📷Locations - SoHo, Washington Square Park, Roosevelt Island & Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Time of Day- Early to Mid morning
Camera Settings- Hand Held, 55-210 zoom lens at 55-190mm, f/5.6-11 1/200, ISO 100-400
Image 1 - Spring on Spring was captured on the SW corner of Spring & West Broadway in SoHo which has an amazing tree close by. I spotted the tree start to bloom and hoped it would grow in a way to surround the street sign so after much playing around with position and zooming I was very happy with this result.
Image 2 - Spring in Washington Square Park was captured one morning before the crowds and light amplified! Ideally I prefer photographing in the morning from before sunrise to within the first 2 hours of daylight as it avoids crowds & direct sunlight.
I lived in the neighbourhood for 13+ years & was lucky enough to visit the park all year round, morning, noon and night so have captured a variety of contrasting images. Spring is my favourite time of year and the first sight of blossom signals a time to increase my visits to capture peak bloom in an ever-changing landscape. To me, this is perfect peak bloom however a cold or rainy day can wipe it all away in a moment so timing is everything!
Image 3 - Blossom over The 59th St Bridge was captured from Roosevelt Island which houses an amazing collection of blossom trees along the waterfront and is an amazing sight to see particularly from the Tram!
The contrast of the pink blossom against the bridge creates maximum "pop" while balanced with the calming effects of The East River. The warm weather increases the blossoming & burst of colour however post bloom a carpet of blossom is possibly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen!
Image 4 - Beautiful Pink Blossom can be seen at The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens particularly in The Japanese Garden and Esplanade. Crowds eagerly await updates for peak bloom and flock there daily to see the beautiful sights.
Insider Tip-The prettiest blooms are end of March-early April, I recommend a weekday or early Sunday morning on Roosevelt Island as a great place to be enamoured by the beautiful blooms as Brooklyn Botanic Garden gets really busy as soon as it opens.
I highly recommend checking out these NYC locations while they are in bloom as undoubtedly it will put a spring in your step when “Spring has Sprung.”