Balsamroot in full bloom stretch towards the horizon where the first light of day hits Mt Hood. Framed against the pink sky, the scene was a a perfect reminder of the beauty of spring in the Pacific Northwest, which encapsulates everything from the vivid tulip blossoms in Skagit Valley, the vibrant flowers in neighborhood gardens to vast blooms like this one.
I used the blur of the windswept blooms to highlight the gusty conditions that morning. While I attempted a few shots at a higher shutter speed to freeze the motion, I found that the blurred flowers worked equally well for this scene.
Columbia Hills Historic State Park
WA USA
The Yellow Fields
From the distance, it appeared as though somebody had taken a giant brush and painted the green hillsides yellow. Vast swathes of grassy meadows were covered with millions of balsamroot, a relative of the sunflower, all blooming in unison and creating this beautiful annual spectacle. And with the spring weather holding up relatively well, the conditions were ideal for photographing this remarkable event.
After a day of exploring this beautiful park, I drove along the road to find the promised land for sunset - a vast meadow blooming balsamroot with the unmistakable cone of Mt Hood soaking the last light of the day. And here, high above the gorge, the wind had picked up, gusting up from the gorge below and rolling over the vast open plains. The tiny little blooms were putting up a brave fight against the strong gusts, but it didn't seem they'd last more than a few more days. I, for one, was glad to be able to capture the last of the yellow spectacle.
Columbia River Gorge
WA USA
Shadow of a Giant
Dawn broke on the shore of Lake Trillium like a slow firework. The muted greys slowly gave way to warming colors in the sky, while the lifting mist off the lake started to catch some of the morning light. The sun hadn't crested yet, and neither had it's warmth, leaving me and a few other intrepid adventurers freezing on that spring morning.
As the mist slowly wafted, I spotted a lonely racing boat peering through the mist and breaking the still surface of the lake. Eventually the mist lifted, and the huge prominence of Mt Hood made its appearance. Rising 7200 ft above the lake, the snow-capped volcanic behemoth was a sight to behold as it formed the backdrop for this tranquil scene.
I captured this one frame of this boater while waiting for the morning light to strike the peak, but weather patterns ensured that the light never came. Hence I decided to hold on to image to remind myself of that beautiful morning.
Trillium Lake
OR USA