High Park Cherry Blossoms

One of my favourite times to be in the west end of Toronto is late spring.  That's because every year in May, the High Park cherry blossom trees spring to life.  The Sakura trees were given to Toronto on behalf of the Japanese, for Toronto's support during World War Two.  The short-lived flowering season brings many people to the park, myself included!  I was able to visit twice this year, when the buds were just popping up, and then later when the trees were in full bloom.  Here are some of my favourite shots:

View more photos at Superflash Photography on Facebook.

And here are some of my previous years' photographs of the cherry blossoms in High Park: 2012, 2010.

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival

Have you ever been to Epcot at Walt Disney World during the Flower and Garden Festival?  The festival features beautiful topiaries (of Disney Characters!) that are unbelievable - how do they do that!?  The characters all look lifelike, and it's clear that they have very talented gardeners who are able to maintain the topiaries so exquisitely.

Also unique to Epcot is the food and drink choices.  During the Flower and Garden Festival, each country also has a "pop up shop" type of food stand where you can get unique dishes that are unavailable at other times of the year - I tried a maple bacon cupcake, which sounded interesting in theory, but didn't quite hit the mark like I was hoping.  Margaritas in Mexico, however, are always a good choice!

Plus, there's my favourite part of the festival - the Flower Power Concert Series.  Every weekend features a popular band from the 1960s-1980s.  I happened to attend when one of my absolute favourite bands - Herman's Hermits - were playing!  I've seen Herman's Hermits (featuring Peter Noone) before and they are always incredibly entertaining.

I couldn't believe that people would line up in the hot sun for two hours before the concert just to get a spot in the amphitheatre though.  Because of that, my photos aren't that great.  I didn't want to waste my day in the park standing in a line, so my friends and I ended up hanging out in the courtyard behind the amphitheatre, sipping our margaritas and listening to the show instead.  It was still an awesome experience!

He played all of his hits, including Silhouettes, I'm Henry The VIII, I'm Into Something Good, etc.  And he also mixed it up with some fun cover songs - like Ring of Fire!  That was definitely a treat.



Here's some more photos from my awesome day at Epcot:

 

Check out more photos at the Superflash Photography facebook page!

High Park Cherry Blossoms: 2012

One of my favourite signs of spring in Toronto is when the High Park cherry blossoms come out to play.  The first time I went to see them was in 2010 - but now that I've moved into the High Park area of the city, I've made it tradition to go every year.  This year, the weather was kind of iffy.  The weekend called for rain, and most of the week was a bit chilly.  I ended up going on a warm, but windy mid-week night, and I was surprised at the amount of people that were at the park that night.  Without further ado... here's some beauty to bask in:

    

  

  

There's more pics up here - and if you're not a fan of Superflash Photography on Facebook, you can join here!

One of my favourite places on earth: Clearwater, FL

Do you have a place that just draws you in as soon as you get there?  Somewhere that feels as much (or even more) like home than your actual home?  Clearwater FL is one of those places for me.  Here are some of my favourite photos from over the years...

Want to see more from Florida?  Here's a link to all of my photos on Flickr.

Also, if you haven't already, could you please take a second to vote for my photo in the My Canada Photo contest?  You don't need to register, you just need to click "Like" or "Tweet" with your facebook or twitter accounts.  Thanks!!

Spring has Sprung: The High Park Cherry Blossoms!

One of the certain signs of spring in Toronto is the blooming cherry blossoms in High Park. The trees were a gift from Japan to Toronto in 1959, and were planted in appreciation of Toronto accepting re-located Japanese-Canadians following the Second World War.

Before this year, I had never seen them in person. The flowers only last for a very short time, before they blow away and turn into the summer leaves.

Last weekend, I packed up my camera gear, met up with a friend, and headed down to High Park to appreciate the blossoms first-hand, for the first time. (Unfortunately, I think 90% of the city had the same idea... it was packed!)

I am very pleased with the results! Here's a few of my favourite shots:

For more of my photos from that day, check out Cherry Blossoms on Flickr.
What are the signs of spring in your neck of the woods?

Doors Open Toronto: Allen Gardens

Toronto holds an annual event called "Doors Open" in May. It's been going on for 10 years now, however, this year was the first time that I was actually able to take part. My friend Fraser and I walked all over the city to discover some sights that we had never really seen.

First stop: Allen Gardens. Allen Gardens was one of those places that I knew existed, but I never really knew what it was. Even looking at it from the outside, I thought it was just a little greenhouse.

I was DEFINITELY impressed with what I saw. The botanical gardens were massive and incredibly beautiful. I saw so many flowers that were just gorgeous - and someone even brought their pet parrot in. Oh, and there was a wedding party taking their photos in there too.

A picture is worth 1000 words though, so I will share some of the more beautiful photos:

It was a truly picturesque place to be, and if you're in Toronto, I definitely recommend a tour through the Allen Gardens.

More pics here!