Cherry hysteria: A weekend at the UW Quad during peak bloom

We sent photographer Caean Couto, a senior in his last quarter at UW, to document spring’s most charming and chaotic weekend.



Joined only by a few other photographers, Caean Couto stepped onto the UW Quad at sunrise on Friday. He'd woken up at 5:30 a.m. to beat the rush that was sure to come later that morning.

After grabbing a few frames of nature in its sleepy and secluded state, he came back the next day around noon. Sure enough, the Quad was filled with strollers, frisbees, cheerleaders, dogs and drones. Cellphones held high captured optimal angles (of the people, of course, not the blossoms), and the sun made it a perfect spring day.

“They’re beautiful,” Couto says of the blossoms in full bloom, “but after a few hours the crowds are too much.” Here’s your chance to enjoy the splendor of the cherry trees, along with a glimpse of the chaotic excitement they create every spring.