Sakura Season in Vancouver

It seems that spring has indeed sprung here in Vancouver. The last few days have seen temperatures in the high teens (that works out to about the mid-60s for those of you think in Fahrenheit) and we’ve been able to enjoy quite a bit of sun. Better still, it is always around this time of year that the sakura trees start to paint the town in pink. There are cherry blossom trees just about everywhere and they’re positively gorgeous.

Armed with my trusty Olympus PEN E-PL1, I went out over the weekend for a short photowalk to snap a few photos of the sakura in bloom. If you’re ever in our neck of woods around this time of year, no tour of Vancouver would be complete without a stroll through one of the many residential streets to see these exquisite blossoms. It just goes to show you that you don’t have to venture out to exotic places like Hawaii or Australia to enjoy the beauty of nature. It could be right in your own backyard.

The harsh midday sun ensured that every picture was well-lit, but it created some interesting challenges. At the same time, it also made for some fun lighting effects; I played around a little with the lens flare and I think they turned out quite nice. You can click on any of the images below to get to the corresponding Flickr page where higher-res versions are available.

Sakura Season in Vancouver

Sakura Season in Vancouver

Sakura Season in Vancouver

Sakura Season in Vancouver

Sakura Season in Vancouver

Willingdon Heights Park, Burnaby

Sakura Season in Vancouver