Pear blossom?
Our spring is not that far yet…
I know what those are: the Washington DC cherry blossoms. Nice up-close shot! Is that photo recent? I guess they are out now, ahead of time.
I’ll have to dig out a good photo I took years ago of the DC Tidal Basin, which was taken on a picture-perfect day, and resembled a postcard. I thought I’d dig it out, scan it, and post it. But I just checked, and the room where it is needs to have a few things removed before I’d be able to get to it in the photo file cabinet. So, not today.
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Thank you! I took this today near my neighborhood. The cherry trees around the Tidal Basin are the ones most people think of, but there are trees all over the city. This is a Yoshino Cherry tree, @peterhuppertz ; I only know that because of this map.
You are right, @Never2Late - the blossoms are out early this year. They usually peak late March/early April, near my birthday, and I go see them as part of my little celebration.
Definitely share your photo when you find it!
Thanks for the info about your cherry tree. Yes, I’ll post that photo, when/if I can find it. In the meantime. . . a couple of shots from the ever-flowering Hawaiian islands:
Hibiscus blossom at Rainbow Falls on the Big Island
Called Ma’o hau hele (hibiscus brackenridgei), it’s the official State Flower of Hawai’i.
These are plumeria, which are among the flowers used in making leis. Shot at Kaua’i.
And for fun, here’s a homemade weather station we saw on Kaua’i:
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Well, here’s some cherry blossom for you then, as a token of my appreciation.
I have to admit they’re not quite recent. In fact, this is seventeen years ago.
But it’s the thought that counts, no?
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Any time now in Tokyo, yeah! Close to my birthday too.
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Yes! Thank you. 
Excellent! March or April? (I’m early April)
So beautiful!
Early April.
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Anyone here into photography? I’m always taking pictures with my phone and decided to take it to the next level. I bought myself a decent camera kit (Nikon Z6II w/ Nikkor Z 24-70 mm f/4 S lens) and want to learn photography.
Any recommendations on a B2B equivalent online course for Photography?
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I was painting quite a bit at the end of last year and so I was also taking a lot of photos. I started looking at cameras but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I would like to find a camera that takes good pictures, but that can also take decent videos so I can use it to make my cover vids. Seems like those tend to be expensive.
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Here’s a great list of photography courses assembled by Adorama, a respected national photo gear vendor.
https://www.adorama.com/alc/10-best-free-online-photography-courses/amp/
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I dabbled in photography. Online courses seemed lacking, I found a camera store that offered classes on weekends. Also continuing ed at community colleges often has a class. That’s my experience
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Most cameras take really good pictures, and good video. The body is not the big cost - check out the lenses. That’s where your money will go.
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@PamPurrs - see!?
I told you to post your latest fantastic creations.
Now you have a thread to do it.
As far as me and a camera - it’s not for me.
I’m terrible at it all.
Before leaving Pepsi our lab got a super duper crazy expensive camera and lenses (someone else used lol) and I couldn’t make heads or tails of taking a good pic.
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It’s not a cheap hobby.
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Thanks! That’s the list I’m currently looking at.
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These cameras have so many settings and options it looks like a fighter jet cockpit!
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My second degree was in photography and I started my career as a professional photographer.
I’ve owned and used Hasselblad, Mamiya, Nikon and Canon gear for shooting products, portraits, TV commercials and events.
Pro camera bodies are definitely not cheap, and good lenses are very expensive.
@RuknRole, your new Nikon is a serious camera. Congrats. You can get a lot out of it with some good instruction on photography fundamentals.
Check out some online courses. And then look into photography study at a community college or a good camera store. The community college will offer better, deeper instruction.
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Do a search for videos about your camera’s features and use. There should be some great ones on YouTube. They will jump-start your knowledge of how your Nikon works.
It is all confusing to newbies, not unlike learning bass, but it’s very doable if you take your time getting acquainted with each feature and function.
The principles of photography are universal, so a great next step after you’re comfortable with your camera is to study those principles.
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