Philadelphia is a city known for its sports, music, and history, among other things. Many residents and visitors alike walk around, often ignoring the little details, but it’s crazy what you see when you just slow down and take in your surroundings. Recently, I spent my Sunday walking around with a friend, taking pictures for my Instagram. As we were walking around, we started noticing the abundance of flowers in Philadelphia. To me, this was not unusual. This was a reminder that spring is here and Philadelphia is embracing it!
In this photo series, we can see the variety of different flowers that have bloomed in the 6th-largest city in the United States. Historic landmarks like City Hall were adorned with bright, soft tulips. City Hall, a symbol of power, appeared to display its softer side with these beautiful flowers, creating a vibrant and happy atmosphere around this iconic building.
As I walked towards Old City, everything seemed to shrink around me—buildings, houses, parks—but as I continued, I entered the 18th-Century Garden at 4th and Walnut Streets, which had beds of red and yellow tulips. This picture stood out to me because I could see flowers that had already bloomed and flowers that had yet to bloom, reminding me of people in a way. We all live in a common bed, but some of us have yet to bloom, while others have fully bloomed and shine in their own unique way. Everything in this photo, even with the people in the background, feels calm and composed. Old City had this gem hidden away, sitting quietly waiting for people to come and appreciate its subtle beauty.
As I continued walking, my mind was fixated on how beautiful Philly looked in the spring; it was as though I had never truly noticed the nature that blessed my city before, and now there was an abundance of it. The close-up shot of the pink-and-white blossom on the branch is much softer than the previous shots of flowers. This is my favorite picture because of how blossoms tend to be so simple, but are possibly the most beautiful. These flowers could be easy to miss for the common person who is rushing to a destination or engrossed in their phone. But for someone who took the time to appreciate their surroundings, it could be a nice reward for looking up from their phone now and then.
The white and pink blossoms hanging from the trees are among my favorite flowers that I photographed. The lighting and angles of these photos, which keep the focus on what is in front of you, make them feel more personal than some of the other pictures. The little details in the blossoms and the way they are all so uniform but unique make you appreciate how beautiful they really are, because it reminds me that something so beautiful isn’t perfect either.
