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High Key Sakura Blossom . . .     by Neil Creek

A high key macro closeup of a delicate pink sakura, or cherry blossom flower.
© 2008 Neil Creek. All Rights Reserved (see policies). Contact for Use.

The sakura, or cherry blossom is a delicate and transient beauty that has significant cultural and spiritual significance in Asia, particularly Japan. Due to the short period that the cherry trees bloom, the sakura blossom has come to represent the transience of life, and is associated with warriors, with equally transient lives. The annual wave of blooming sakura in Japan moving from South to North as the nation warms, brings with it a matching wave of hanami, “flower watching festivals”. Picnics, parties, drinking and enjoying the beautiful sakura with friends are a national pastime.

This photo was originally taken as a part of Brian Auer’s “Blown Away” project. Spring had just arrived in Australia, and everywhere you looked, explosions of colour were appearing. Cherry blossoms are a favourite of Melbourne residents, and these vivid cotton-candy pink trees caught the eye wherever you look. I wanted to share the delicate beauty of these blossoms, and I thought they suited the project well.

3 Responses »

  1. The composition is excellent on this image. I forget how stellar high key images can be when done right.

  2. Hello!
    Very nice picture, I did not know these flowers are called sakura! It looks great with a bright background!

  3. Very intriguing . I always see scenes of Japan’s cherry blossom trees in bloom in so many movies. The scenes were so beautiful and surreal , so very much like a living picture taken out of a coloring book.

    But this is the first I saw a cherry blossom up close and I must say it’s a very lovely specimen , I like how delicate it looks and it’s light pink color.

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