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Spring in Tokyo 2024 had come early?
Spring in Tokyo came early in 2024, didn’t it? It certainly seemed it had. Winter had been on the warm side, for Tokyo anyway. I looked at the weather records. The average highs and lows for January broke records. February was different. We did have some snow. Still, things have been warm enough to see certain flowers bloom in the city.
In early February, I browsed a few of my regular websites and saw plum blossom photos. What? They seemed a little early. I did some checking and made phone calls. One of those places I talked to was Hama Rikyu Gardens. The lady there said they had indeed started to bloom. It seemed that it was true. Spring had come to Tokyo early. Let’s mark that snowfall as an anomaly, ok?
What was my camera gear for these photos:
- Body: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
- Flash: Godox V860 II
How was my first spring in Tokyo photo session?
So off I went for my early spring in Tokyo plum blossom photos of 2024. By the way, do you know Hama Rikyu Gardens? It’s about a 10-minute walk from Shinbashi Station. The park was a hunting ground for the shoguns long ago. Now, it has a great collection of flowers on its grounds.
We had great weather the day I went. The skies were blue, and there was a little cloud. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. It was even a little warm. Officially, it is still winter. But to me, it felt like spring in Tokyo. My expectations for flower photography that day were high.
Well, when I arrived, I was a little disappointed. The weather was great. But the flowers weren’t. A few trees had nice blooms, but most didn’t. What could I do?
There was only one choice. I photographed the trees that looked good. Then I looked for blooms that had fully formed. I filled the frame with them. My flash helped with those a lot. In the end, I was happy with the photos I got.
And I lucked out with something else. Hama Rikyu Gardens has a canola (rapeseed) field too. While half of it was bare, the other half had enough for photos. I could use those for this article as well.
I did see something unusual on the day. A mother and daughter were there. There is nothing unusual about that, but this pair were. Mum was probably in her thirties and had a camera with a huge zoom lens. The young girl might have been four or five and dressed to the nines. She was cute! It was a photo session.
The daughter carried a small step (or ladder, if you prefer). Mum yelled to her where to put it and how to pose. The little girl struggled with that step. She must have been so tired at the end of it. I hope the photos were worth it.
To be honest, I snapped a few photos of her myself. But when I got home, I discovered a problem. I had shot at a large aperture, and in my haste, the focus point had probably been in the wrong place. With the depth of field so narrow, the girl’s face was blurred! I missed a great opportunity.
Wrapping up
Anyway, it was a great day. I was happy with my flower photos. The plum blossoms and canola looked good. Spring in Tokyo has only just started (if I’m correct in saying that). As it is early in the season, I will have more opportunities to see them. I might even go somewhere new! Let’s wait and see.
For more Tokyo flower articles, look at:
External related websites:
- Hama Rikyu Gardens (official website)