It’s cherry blossom time and the trees are blooming all over the country. In Washington State, Seattle residents and visitors look forward each spring to the beautiful sight of big old cherry trees covered in delicate pink flowers on the University of Washington campus.
The annual bloom is certainly an event for photography, and on a sunny, spring day there will be many people at the campus Quad, almost all with cameras, using everything from a cell phone to a large format view camera to record the glory. In composing the photo above, I chose an angle looking up into the trees and framed the scene to eliminate all the other visitors.
The cherry tree blossoms are initially a very pretty pink, but as the flowers age the color fades so ideally you want to get there right when the best color appears. Finding an angle where the blossoms are back or side-lit usually results in much better photographs.
The peak of the bloom is typically early April, although it can vary greatly depending on late winter weather. When the trees do bloom, don’t procrastinate about going to see them – the flowering only lasts for a little over a week. This year, peak bloom is predicted to be March 30-April 5.
The UW Quad isn’t the only place to photograph cherry trees. There are many more blossoms in nearby Washington Park Arboretum. Azalea Way, one of the main paths through the park, is lined with cherry trees. Check with the folks at the Visitor Center for specific locations and to find out what else is blooming when you’re there.
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