Cherry Blossoms and Stormy Skies: A Velvia Day on Centre Island

Cherry Blossoms and Stormy Skies: A Velvia Day on Centre Island

Spring arrived late this year, but on a grey day in early May, I packed my Sony and set sail for Centre Island, chasing cherry blossoms and reflections under moody clouds. With the trees just beginning to bloom and the sky refusing to brighten, it felt like the perfect test for my Velvia film simulation—a setting designed to pop colours and boost contrast, ideal for overcast days.

The Walkway of Blossoms

As I stepped onto the island, the cherry trees were just catching their stride. Pale pink petals lined the main walkway like a seasonal guard of honour. While the lighting was flat, Velvia’s punchy saturation gave the scene life. The blossoms glowed against the mossy greens and muted browns of early spring—almost as if the photo had been pulled from a postcard rack in the 1990s.

Cherry trees in bloom, under dramatic clouds

The simulation deepened the pinks and sharpened the shadow edges. Velvia doesn’t lie—it amplifies.

Along the Shoreline

Next stop: the beach. The lake was calm, the sand still cool from spring rain, and not a swimmer in sight. The palette here was more muted—beiges, dull greens, and greys—but Velvia still managed to carve definition into every ripple and tree branch. The weeping willows in the distance turned an electric yellow-green that probably wasn’t quite accurate… but it sure looked great.

Empty beach, trees just budding, lake stretching wide

Velvia’s colour boost gave the shoreline a nostalgic, almost dreamy tone—like a memory from a 90s travel brochure.

Skyline Reflections

From the island’s edge, I faced the CN Tower and the dense wall of glass towers that define Toronto’s skyline. Water in the foreground, city in the back—this is a view I’ve shot a dozen times, but today felt different. The dark sky added drama, and Velvia made the water shimmer with teal and steel-blue tones. Even without sunlight, the simulation gave the photo punch.

The Toronto skyline framed by island foliage

With Velvia, the glass towers cut sharply through the haze, and the forest on either side looked richer and deeper.

Notes on Shooting

Using the Velvia film simulation was a conscious choice for this trip—its exaggerated saturation and high contrast are risky in bright sunlight, but perfect for cloudy spring days. I shot in JPEG with in-camera settings for minimal post-processing, relying on:

Creative Style: Vivid

Saturation: +2

Contrast: +1

Sharpness: 0

DRO: Level 3

White Balance: Daylight with slight magenta shift

It’s not a true Velvia slide, but it gave me that nostalgic FujiFilm look—like seeing the world through a photographer’s rose-tinted glasses.

If you're a fan of vibrant colours and don't mind bending reality a bit, try a Velvia-style setup next time the skies are grey. Sometimes, the best colour shows up when the sun doesn't.