"Endless Spring Meadow"

Spring came early to the Central Valley this year. This was taken on the last day of February and the valley floor was carpeted by these "blue dicks", as they are known. This was for me one of the most spectacular display of wildflowers I have ever seen. For this shot, I decided to assemble a 7 frame pano to hopefully convey the vastness of this display of nature. I have since printed and framed this shot at an image size of 16"X40". Because of the immense file size resulting from the stitch, the detail is far beyond anything I have ever produced. The individual flowers and reeds of grass have remarkable definition. I have provided a rather large preview, but even at 1200 pixels, this web preview cannot render the available detail. None the less, thanks for your impressions!

Thanks for your observations. Please view Larger!

Just bloody awesome! From top-to-bottom, and side-to-side, an epic vision of a California spring! Well done! Top marks for this baby! Cheers! Chris

 

By the bye, I am looking forward to doing some shooting with you this spring; and we have some great places to prowl: Carrizo Plain, Bear Mountain, Wind Wolves, Caliente Road, Guiberson Road, etc. Get those batteries charged, Amigo!

Thanks Chris! I am looking forward to some additional shooting in the spring, my Father-in-Law should be returning in March. That will free me up some, especially for nearby locations. I hope to get over to the East Side of the Sierra or DVNP in April for some camping. I did a quick google of Guiberson Road, sounds interesting although most of what I read was in reference to the recent wildfires. Also, I am still thinking about compiling a book of photos and prose, at least for our own enjoyment and next year's gifts, at most to send out to some publishers. Wondering if you are still game?

I would love to help you with that project. In fact, I have been going through my poetry books (and I've got a bunch of them) and placing yellow-stickies all over the place. I need to load 'em up, and come and spend a day with you, and see what we can match up. I have some ideas based upon some of your more recent postings; but I think it would be terrific to sit down with you and get a better sense of your vision for the book. We'll do it soon; I'm thinking in January after the holidays. Cheers! Chris

Hi Mark, I agree with Chris "Awsome" the complimetary colour pallete perfect. A very peaceful and serene landscape

Just noticed the Bakersfield location: Dwight Yoakam country :-)

There's not a lot left to say. This is a stunner in every way. I hope that you and Chris will keep me posted on the book project. I would love to see the result.

For me who lives in the middle of Europe, such field of flowers is unbelievably amazing. I never saw something like this. The format you used emphasizes its endless character. So does the simple composition. Though I can imagine how it would shine in a more "golden" lighting conditions, it's still very beautiful photograph that I'm glad to have seen. Cheers, Marek

the technical perfection of your images are amazing! natural and artistic in the same time, no flaws. great tones and colors. very simple and relaxing. excellent shot.

I'm afraid I've neglected getting over here to snoop around for awhile. Mark, you've got some great new stuff. This is the kind of shot I dream about. Twice I've gone out West in the spring, hoping to get wildflower shots like this.....hit it wrong both times. I guess if you live out there you can 'time' it a little better. This is gorgeous and brings me great joy! Speaking of which.....I send you and your family warm wishes for a wonderful holiday! Oh, and good luck with the book project....can't think of any 2 people who would make a better collaboration!

Thanks Clive, also well known for Buck Owens, among other country-western stars. Thank you Jeff, always good to hear from you and we will keep you posted. Marek, I love shooting at the "golden light" and I have a couple from this same location, but I wanted capture this during a "bright" moment. Still, this was rather late in the day with sunset only an hour or so away. Zsolt, thanks for your praise. While I don't consider myself a "natural" photographer, I have put a great deal of time in trying to perfect my work. For me, the technical side of photography is just as important as the subject matter. I have many successful images with good comp and color, but they fall short on the technical side, so I typically shelve them. Inversely, I have many average images that approach perfection that I am quite proud of. They typically don't do well on this forum, but as long as they can make a flawless 16X24 print, I feel I have done my job! Thanks Christal for the Holiday wishes and right back at ya. You know, Chris is quite the poet and we have been thinking a mixture of prose and photography could make for good coffee table viewing and reading. Even if it falls flat on the publishing side, it will vent many of our creative urges and make for some good "thought that counts" Christmas gifts for next year.

Oh, my. Even at this resolution, incredible detail. Great work, Mark.