Tag Archives: wildflower

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

California Golden Poppy

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California Golden Poppy
A single specimen of a California golden poppy flower.

California Golden Poppy. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A single specimen of a California golden poppy flower.

Any California photographer is obligated to photograph the California Golden Poppy. Check the contract — it is right there! It is the state flower and it is found just about everywhere in the state with few exceptions. More recently, as folks around here have moved away from having water-reliant lawn and towards drought-tolerant landscaping, the poppy is showing up in more and more yards. I’m sure I could find a dozen places to photograph them within a five or ten minute walk from my house.

They are called (at least sometimes) “golden” poppies, but they aren’t exactly gold. The color is more orange, though it sort of “leans” a bit toward yellow. If you look up the flower on wikipedia, you’ll find a wonderful description from John Steinbeck’s East of Eden: “California poppies … are of a burning color—not orange, not gold, but if pure gold were liquid and could raise a cream, that golden cream might be like the color of poppies.” They aren’t easy to photograph, at least in part because of this unusual and intense color. This one cooperated more than most, opening its petals toward me in somewhat soft light.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Fairy Lantern

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Fairy Lantern
A fairy lantern (globe lily) flower, photographed in the hills of the San Francisco Bay Area

Fairy Lantern. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A fairy lantern (globe lily) flower, photographed in the hills of the San Francisco Bay Area

It is difficult to come up with a rational explanation for why some wildflowers particularly catch my attention, but it is fact that some do. I have a short list of Sierra Nevada wildflowers that will always cause me to pause and look more closely. In a particular area of the Northern California hills that flower is this one, the fairy lantern or globe lily.

Somehow I managed to hike for decades in these hills before I “discovered” this flower on a hike through a small valley one spring while visiting the non-urban park that is closer to me than any other, a place where I’ve gone for spring “conditioning hikes” since I can remember. One time a perhaps two decades ago I took a different route through this spot and was enchanted by these mysterious flowers. Now I mark the onset of spring here by their appearance. They aren’t really easy to photograph since they don’t open up energetically, and you must get down low and photograph them from a bit underneath to reveal the flower — and the colors are subtle and easily washed out by any bright light.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Spring Flowers

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Spring Flowers
Spring flowers in the hills of Central California.

Spring Flowers. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring flowers in the hills of Central California.

Back in 2019 we had quite an impressive spring wildflower season in most of California. The quality and number of flowers is extremely precipitation dependent in California — and depending upon the moisture levels we can see a ho-hum season or something the bursts forth is spectacular form, covering hillsides with carpets of color.

I made this photograph in one of those “carpeted” places. We arrived here at the peak color of a peak season, and the number and variety of flowers were astonishing.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature

Baby Blue Eyes

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Baby Blue Eyes
Baby Blue Eyes flower against green spring plants.

Baby Blue Eyes. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Baby Blue Eyes flower against green spring plants.

Since the pandemic lockdown began almost three months ago, I’ve made it out into the “wild” only a couple of times. Recently the authorities in our area loosened things enough to permit visits to hiking trails in the surrounding hills. I’ve gone early in the morning on weekdays, when fewer people are there, and I’ve stuck to wider trails that used to be dirt roads. It was great to get out — as recently as last Friday — but I did miss most of this year’s wildflower season around here.

This photograph comes from a favorite place along a little trail through a small valley not far from the trailhead. The trail descends into this valley under a canopy of trees and frequently crosses small creeks. Even on warm days it is a place of quiet and dark refuge.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.