Digital has taken the guesswork out of photography. After all, you can check the screen of your camera to see if the photo came out. No more wondering if everything is in focus and properly exposed.
Even with these advancements, you still don’t know if the photo really works.
I biked to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms. As a jaded Washingtonian, I’ve seen innumerable perfect cherry blossom pictures. I wanted something different.
Across from the Jefferson Memorial, the late afternoon light was perfect – soft, warm and with a hazy quality to it. I liked how sunset was coming through the trees. And I’d been thinking of silhouettes.
I took the photo above with my iPhone 5, before moving on to take lots of other pictures with my “real” camera, the Canon.
Once I edited the photo in the Flickr mobile app (using my favorite Mammoth filter), I knew that this photo just worked. There’s a romantic quality to it, capturing how the cherry blossoms are a beautiful, shared experience.
This photo is an Honorable Mention in the 2013 Cherry Blossom Photo Contest. Sponsored by FotoDC, the contest was judged by Carolyn Russo of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and Professional Photographer Frank Van Riper
I only submitted one photo to the contest. I had lots of other photos of blossoms and the Jefferson Memorial. They were pretty but looked like a million other pics. So I submitted my iPhone pic – it was different than the others. It popped. It worked.
Look for this photo, plus lots of others at the opening reception. Here’s the details:
FotoDC’s Cherry Blossom CDIA Exhibition
Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts
May 23, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
1055 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Washington, DC
Hi Joe
love your shot
I am finding myself more often shooting with my iphone just from convenience. It’s a fun challenge to see how good a shot I can take with my earlier model iphone
Cheers
Thanks!