Grey petals are the usual fault in cherry blossom pictures. A camera's meter sees white flowers against a bright sky and darkens them, so add a stop of exposure and they turn white again. You will make that correction often in Kyoto in April. In a typical year the Somei Yoshino are at or near full bloom as the month begins. Rain falls on about 11 days, and by mid-morning the crowds fill every frame. The month is still worth it if you shoot before breakfast and after dark.
Start at Keage Incline at first light. The disused boat railway runs downhill from near Keage Station towards Nanzen-ji under about 90 Somei Yoshino trees, and its rails give you the leading lines most blossom scenes lack. Get low between the tracks and let them run up into the canopy. From there it is a short walk to the Philosopher's Path, about two kilometres of stone path beside a canal between Nanzen-ji and Ginkaku-ji. Change to 85mm or longer and compress the arches of blossom over the water. A wide angle here mostly records other people's umbrellas.
After dark, walk to Gion. Along the Shirakawa canal near Tatsumi Bridge the trees are lit for a short run in late March and early April, and nearby Maruyama Park illuminates its great weeping cherry, the second generation of the famous tree. Shoot the canal in the half hour after sunset, while the sky still holds some blue behind the lanterns. Once it goes black, the lit branches float against nothing. Keep to the public streets. The private lanes off Hanamikoji are closed to photography, and fines apply.
Save a grey day for Heian Shrine. Flat light stops white petals blowing out and suits the weeping cherries in the garden behind the shrine, a deeper pink variety. Rain adds its own detail, petals pasted to wet stone and to the front of your lens, so carry a cloth. The Heian trees usually reach full bloom a few days after the rest of the city, which makes them the safety net for a mistimed trip: if you land after the peak, go there first.