The background is important
In all photography textbooks you read: The background is just as important as the subject, or the foreground.
This applies to all images. It is especially true for images with a message, since the subject conveys only 50% of that message and the background conveys the remaining half.
In this example, the motif—the dead, withered, lifeless branches—rather expresses decline, dying, death, etc. This is in extreme contrast to the background: cheerful weather, blue sky, summer, sun, warmth, joy, optimism, etc.
These contradictory statements between subject and background confuse the viewer. It does not convey the intended image message as clearly as a photo with a gray sky or fog.
The better version
Sometimes you get lucky, too. Between these two pictures, there is only a single day. Yesterday blue sky and today gray, cloudy sky. If you want to express decline, death, the dying off, you better take this second picture.
Besides, I think it's perfectly legitimate to edit all my photos on my home computer so that they convey exactly what I want to express. If I were out on location, it would take years before the lighting was finally just right.