Swelling Cherry Buds on a Bare Branch

A single grey-brown branch runs diagonally across a clear, saturated blue sky. Along it sit clusters of plump buds, their scales a mix of fresh green and reddish brown. Some are tightly closed and glossy, while at the right-hand end a few have begun to open, showing crinkled pale green tissue. There are no flowers yet, only the first sign of them. The light is bright and direct, picking out the smooth curves of the scales and the rough bark below. The mood is quiet and early-season, with plenty of empty blue space around the subject.

The caption places this branch on a cherry tree (Prunus sect. Cerasus) at Gåseberg in Lysekil Municipality, on Sweden's west coast. Cherries set their flower buds the summer before and hold them through winter. Warmth in spring makes the scales loosen and part, and the blossom and young leaves emerge from the same cluster. The green and red-brown colouring is typical of buds at this stage. The landscape format and the uncluttered blue background suit a widescreen desktop monitor well, and the empty sky on the left and right leaves room for icons.

More like this: Cherry Buds Breaking Open Against Clear Blue.