Inokashira Park Cherry Blossoms 2022
The Inokashira Park cherry blossoms are back for 2022. I got there early and checked them out on a Sunday morning. They looked good but were only in partial bloom. Yeah, that was enough for me to take photos.
Photo gear for this shoot
- Camera body: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
The Inokashira Park cherry blossoms 2022 experience
When I arrived at the park, it was windy. I could tell the clouds would eventually close in a few hours, by looking at the sky. I had a small window of good weather for photography. Eventually, everything would turn grey.
I started taking pictures well before 8 AM. Many people were there. Most were walking dogs and enjoying morning walks. Some were taking photos. I saw them with something new. What was it?
It was small binoculars. They were the type birders use. I’d never seen them at Inokashira Park before. It was a little surprising. The photographers were using them to find their subjects quickly.
I have one major complaint about Inokashira Park. It’s the presence of the orange barriers during the hanami season. I understand they are there to prevent people from having parties, but they are so ugly. It’s hard to take photos without them appearing in the frame. You need to work around them.
The other complaint I had was the time I went! Yes, I decided that, but I had many places to go that day. Inokashira Park had to be first due to the way I scheduled things. Let’s talk about it.
Shooting there early in the morning is tricky. Why? If you stand on the pond’s bridge and look east towards the cherry blossom trees, the sun could be in front of you. The sky will be bright, but the trees will be dark. That makes lighting difficult.
Dealing with Inokashira Park cherry blossom lighting conditions:
I dealt with the light conditions by bracketing. Do you know what that is? The theory is simple. Take several photos at different exposures – one underexposed, another overexposed.
By blending them in Lightroom or Photoshop, the result should be a more balanced exposure. Nothing should be too bright or too dark because you mixed everything. That’s the basic idea.
To do it, you should use a tripod to keep your camera stable. That will avoid blur. But I do mine handheld. So far it has worked for me. The Bracketing in Photography: The Ultimate Guide teaches you all about it.
If I could schedule things again, I’d go in the afternoon. That would put the sun behind me. And that means the trees and flowers would be better lit. I’ll do that one day.
Conclusion
In 2022, I had the gear to photograph Inokashira Park’s cherry blossoms. My Fujifilm X-T3 and XF 16-55mm were right for the job. However, nature had its plans. Winds and clouds hinted at a short-lived window of favorable conditions.
The bright sun made things difficult. That couldn’t be helped due to the time I visited the park. But handheld bracketing techniques allowed me to conquer the adverse lighting conditions. The results satisfied me.
After my visit, I reflected on the experience. I’d like better lighting for future visits. Sun position is important for photography.
Please leave questions and comments below. Have you ever seen the Inokashira Park cherry blossoms? Let us know what you think of them.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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