09 MAR 09
I seem to be doing a lot of tight shots lately; am I in a rut? I'm not sure, but I'm inclined to say no because of this picture. You see, I wanted a picture symbolizing the arrival of spring. And here just outside metro Atlanta, the blooming of the Bradford Pear tree is a definitely sign spring is here.
On Day 68, I got a few full pictures of Bradford Pears blooming every time I turned around. Unfortunately, it was a bright, sunny, warm day, and the sky in every one of those pictures was horribly blown out. So I had a choice: a tight shot of Bradford Pear blooms or a glow-in-the-dark sky. I went for the tight shot.
While these trees are very pretty in the early spring, the profusion of white blooms always makes me smile, there are a couple drawbacks to these trees. First, they're kind of frail. After this recent snowstorm, every yard that has Bradford Pear trees also has a pile of branches at the curb. Second, the smell. Have you ever smelled a Bradford Pear tree in bloom? If you haven't, I'll tell you how you can without ever even seeing one. Find an old tire and wait until a stifling hot day. When that day arrives, completely enclose yourself in that old tire and inhale deeply. Smell that? It's Bradford Pear blooms.
Ick.
Post-processing: noise reduction, sharpening, curves adjustment, border addition.
