"Spring Peace"

I have been keeping my eye on this meadow for three weeks now. This is a spectacle I have not witnessed before. My return trip yesterday was an effort to catch the last light of day gracing these wildflowers. The low clouds on the horizon had another idea. Block the sun out. It was a half mile walk round trip carrying my 4 year old daughter (snakes slither in the tall grasses) with no regard to my ailing back. I am paying for that today Thank You. Luckily, once in position, the sun squeaked through a narrow opening on the horizon, illuminating the flowers just enough to eliminate the bluer light of dusk. This was taken at the entrance to Wind Wolves Preserve along highway 166 in South Central California. There will be much more "Springing" to come to this area if we can avoid a hard frost. Thanks for taking the time! A larger view is recommended.

Thanks for any comments or suggestions. Please enjoy the Larger preview!

6-6 for the image , 7-7 for the effort and story behind obtaining this ! Well done !

Mark... Excellent shot! Sigh... tough getting old :-), but this is well worth the effort. Just a wonderful solitude and utter calm... Mike

 

 

Very peaceful and beautiful as well. Love the lavender in the foreground! Excellent! take care, Leslie

Perfect colors and soft lines. Wonderful shot.

Sorry about the sore back, I understand. However I hope it was worth it. This is a wonderful photograph.

 

Bob

Very nice image indeed! Great composition and colour tones. 7/6 anon.

What a beautiful image. I like the colours, almost understated except the purple which has a wonderful vibrancy. I am enjoying less contrived compositions like this more lately, a good honest simplicity. Very refreshing.

 

Simon

Mark, what a wonderful scene. I'm glad you suffered for your art. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Thanks All! Jeffrey, thanks for the Maximus on my oddly curved spine. Mike, old men like us shouldn't be carrying 4 year old children, yours are grown and would be too much to carry. I really had no choice as for the snake potential and the slow leisurely pace of my daughter would have had us in position well after dark! Thanks for the comments Leslie, Pat, Robert and Hussein. Yes it was worth the pain I am going through today. Simon, the composition choices here are limited. There are no trees or rocks to break up the expanse, so I decided to include more sky and avoid overwhelming the scene. What made it work was the low angled sun brushing across the tops of the flowers (these are referred to as "Blue Dicks" or Dichelostemma capitatum.)

Sorry Jeff, you got in there while I was posting my reply. My back may be taking the hit, but with scenery like this, my photography shouldn't be suffering. I hope to get back here several more times over the next month or so to complete a portfolio on this area. It is owned by the Nature Conservancy. At 97 thousand acres, there is alot to explore, problem is it has to be by foot since no vehicles are allowed beyond the campground (as it should be for many of these conservation areas).

Very nice work!

1st ... great photo

 

2nd ... I'm jealous, because we are still a month from Spring here

The beauty of Central Valley captured. Congratulations for a magnificent landscape. - Lester

A 'classy' landscape: the light and the color tones in it fit perfectly together

Superb colours.

what a fantastic image.

I love it!

A very eye catching image.

 

What would have happened with your carried 4 year old daughter if YOU were bit by those snakes? Would you and your back still be able carry her on the way out or make it out at all?

This is really place for Breakfast in the grass. Extraordinary landscape

EXCELLENT, in all its fantastic beauty. Cheers, LKV.

Thank you Dr. Didi, Brian, Lester, Jef, Dave the DJ, John, Eduard and Lennart. John, you pose an excellent question aside from photography. In a philosophical response, getting out and living life, especially living large, is risky business. No risk, no reward. On an intellectual level, I would say that my risk was minimal compared to my daughter's, being that I was wearing boots and thick jeans and could better see the slithering buggers from the top of my 6' 4" vantage (the actual presence of snakes at this time of day is probably minimal being it was cool and near dark). Kennis could get struck in the arm or trunk because she is so much closer to the ground. The other necessity was to get to the desired location quickly. Allowing Kennis to walk would take twice the time (she likes to stop an pick flowers along the way). If I was successfully struck by a Copperhead, well, I would describe the outcome as grim. So much for that thought, lets go do it again! ( Doubtful I will, actually).

Un juego increible de colores. Felicidades

Lindissima-a-a-a-a- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark, this is a beautiful shot. The bright lavender really sets off the image, and the texture of the hills and mountains and lines in the sky complete the image. You are fortunate to live in an area where you can seek out these shots. Wonderful photograph.

Excellent composition.7/7anon.Regards.Janusz.