Cherry Blossom Mini-Sessions | Washington Arboretum
SEATTLE PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
Cherry blossom season is probably one of my favorite here in Seattle. It is the indication that the long pacific northwest winter is finally coming to the end. We’re just starting to see longer and sligthly warmer days as we enter into the spring season. Although we’re not quite at summer, and still receive rain, it’s better than the cold, icy winters here with 5pm sunsets.
Cherry blossoms came early this year, by a lot. We first starting seeing bloom in late February. I even heard they bloomed early in Japan by around three weeks, which disrupted many traveler’s plans to attend the festivals. Flights and accomodations all had to be rebooked. All this to say, cherry blossoms are a beautiful sight that comes once a year, and which the peak bloom lasts only a few weeks. Definitely something you don’t want to miss here in Seattle!
Want to learn more about the best engagement photoshoot spots in Seattle? Check out my guide below!
Everyone knows “the spot” to see cherry blossoms is the Quad at University of Washington. There’s even an entire homepage dedicated for that. It’s stunning there; with all the trees lined up at the Quad on a flat even surface, surrounded by historic buildings with a light brick charm, there’s no other spot in Seattle where you can get the most pictureque photos of cherry blossoms. But with that, comes the crowds.
Let’s take a look at the next best spot in Seattle to see cherry blossoms: Washington Park, specifically on Azalea Way. It’s way less crowded, more open space, and more cherry blossom spots spread over a wider area, giving plenty of space and opportunity for great photos without people in the background.
You’re not going to be able to get “landscape” type photos here as you would with UW, but a single tree with beautiful blooms is all you need. I started my mini sessions with a beautiful family: Christina, David and their young daughter. I loved their attire for this shoot! Perfectly matched the light spring feel of the cherry blossoms. I was able to capture photos of the daughter playing with the cherry blossoms to incorporate enviornmental creativity in the photos.
Next, I had an engaged couple: Kevin and Darline, who are getting married later this year! Darline’s dress was just perfect for this session. There’s something about light spring floral dresses that brighten the mood and gives me a season to look forward to. We were able to utilize the tree in so many ways to get various photos and I was really pleased with how they all turned out!
My final client: Jason and his dog Stella, the shibu inu. Pets are really fun to bring along for photoshoots! Stella has a white/cream fur which was the perfect complement for the cherry blossoms. A lot of pet owners don’t think about photos with their pets, but they are part of the family! Some day, our pets aren’t going to be around, and photos will be the only memories we have of them, so I really appreciate and respect my clients who do bring their pets to a photoshoot.
Cherry blossom season is one of my favorite here in Seattle. It’s so unique to Seattle and having come from California where I don’t see any of that, it’s such a unique opportunity for a photoshoot. You can do field, mountain, beach, forest, etc. type photos just about anywhere, but you can’t do cherry blossom photos anywhere.
To make sure you don’t miss out on my mini session offers such as cherry blossoms, make sure to follow me on instagram!
