The smell of Spring

The smell of Spring, originally uploaded by The Bacher Family.

Can't you just smell the flowers?

I took this photo along the waterfront in Portland, Oregon while walking in the 2011 Multiple Sclerosis Walk. The cherries along the river were so pretty, so I thought I'd experiment with filling the entire frame with the pink of the blossoms. The color is so soft and subtle that I was able to punch up the color saturation white a bit without making the photo look unrealistic--in fact, if anything, it only makes the color look closer to the vibrant reality, so pink you can almost smell them through the computer screen. I think it actually helps that this photo was taken on a cloudy day, because it keeps the contrast low and focuses attention on the color.