This photograph captures a dahlia just beginning to bloom at Ashikaga Flower Park. With few other flowers nearby, its solitary bloom evoked a certain sense of melancholy, prompting me to press the shutter. For those drawn to the quiet beauty of early blooms, photographing the “barely blooming dahlias” at Ashikaga Flower Park is highly recommended.Their appearance, distinct from the full-bloom splendor, is somehow restrained yet radiates a definite presence.Precisely because there are fewer blooms, the charm of a single flower stands out, and compositions utilizing the empty space in the background and the surrounding quietness come alive. It's a spot where you can capture that special “moment of beginning”—a flower yet to be noticed by anyone else, framed through your own unique perspective. Shooting in the gentle light of morning or under cloudy skies further accentuates the flower's delicacy.
- Date of shooting: August 2, 2025
- Photographer: Mr. Pon
- Location：Ashikaga Flower Park
- Address: 607 Sakoma-cho, Ashikaga-shi, Tochigi
- Photography equipment: Canon EOS R
- Lens: Canon EF70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM
- F value: 2.8
- SS: 1/3333s
- ISO: 800
