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Here is a selection of my pictures from my splendid day running around the Brooklyn Botanic Garden shooting the Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival).
First a little rant. I found myself trying to contain my annoyance with kids and adults who purposely shook the branches to get the delicate petals to rain down on them. The cherry blossom blooming period is brief enough — a week, tops — without speeding up the process. Not to mention those who broke off the ends of branches as souvenirs. The flowers probably didn’t last the subway ride.
The yearly cherry blossom frenzy in Brooklyn probably bears little relation to the Japanese tradition of hanami, but it was beautiful and spiritual in its own New York fashion. New York is all about crazes and bleeding edge trends. It’s nice seeing people go nuts over flowers in bloom, rather than the latest $800 clutch purse or fusion restaurant.
Returning home on the 3 train, after the visual overload of magentas, blazing reds and purples, the greys of my block were a welcome respite.