On May 9th, 2024, I wanted to catch the end of daylight, so I set off to the Parc du Bout de l'Ile, just a 16-minute drive from my home. As it is near the East end of the island of Montreal, I know from experience that the landscape is nicely lit by the setting sun in the west. I have previously published an image on my portfolio showing this effect.

Ten minutes before sunset, I saw the beautiful sun and its reflection on the water. Two beautiful balloons are to be seized. Immediately I reminded to have seized the moon (a round balloon) threw a leafless Hawthorn tree.

https://landscapephotographymagazine.com/28/11/2023/hawthorn-berries-and-full-moon-montreal-quebec-canada

So I walked in the sun's direction and looked for tree branches with growing buds that would be crossing these gorgeous ballons of light.

When I found this branch, I set up my camera, the flash and a long-focal lens. Handheld, I composed and took the shot using a 260mm focal length. I focused on the bud in the middle of the scene. When I triggered the shutter, my flash illuminated the scene to reveal the details, form, and colors of the foreground elements.
During postprocessing, I was amazed to see the bokeh and all the elements in the scene.

Spring sunsets offer a great opportunity to perform proxy photography and capture growing natural elements.