Finding Something New in Springtime

Georgia O'Keefe said, “I hate flowers. I only paint them because they're cheaper than models and they don't move.” Flower photos catch way too much grief in my opinion. Yes, they are easy to take. And they never talk back. Regardless of your feelings about petals, leaves, stems, and stamens, Springtime is difficult to experience without a few flower photos. So while the cherry blossoms were fresh, I ventured out today to capture some images of my community's most iconic subject. While this effect is quite easy to replicate in Photoshop, it's more fun to create "in camera".
(f14, 1/20, zoomed 18mm to 36mm through shutter)