Looking for the Lion curled up in a ball. I’ve never seen these but bet this is where the set designers for Wizard of Oz formulated their set vision for Poppies, Poppies… Again, lovely images!
That’s a BABY rattlesnake?! You’ve made it look huge.
The poppies made me squeal in a very embarrassing manner. They’re gorgeous. Do you know if they last longer than the poppies we put in gardens? They are around for such a short time, that you really must have to get the timing right to get the shots if these are as ephemeral.
Kristin – the poppy bloom is dependent on rains, temperatures, and all of these things setting up at the right time months before they bloom. When they bloom, high winds, cold temps, rain storms can rip them apart and lay waste to the fields. If you are lucky, you can catch them for a 1 week period at peak (assuming the weather holds) – but it varies from year to year. Sometimes too much rain will cause grasses to overcrowd the poppies and they get choked out. Poppies close when it’s windy, cold, or cloudy too. Finicky, but totally worth it! :)
Steve – yes, I monitor reports starting in February. If it looks like it will be a good year, then you start to monitor for the peak. Usually it is around mid-April, but sometimes it’s early, sometimes late, and sometimes not at all. I went in late March and there was nothing, which is why I returned in mid April. Luckily, the weather and the flowers worked to our advantage!
April 19th, 2010 at 5:24 am
Looking for the Lion curled up in a ball. I’ve never seen these but bet this is where the set designers for Wizard of Oz formulated their set vision for Poppies, Poppies… Again, lovely images!
April 19th, 2010 at 5:27 am
I just spotted the baby rattlesnake. That does is for me. I couldn’t handle that. Shudder…
April 19th, 2010 at 5:59 am
That’s a BABY rattlesnake?! You’ve made it look huge.
The poppies made me squeal in a very embarrassing manner. They’re gorgeous. Do you know if they last longer than the poppies we put in gardens? They are around for such a short time, that you really must have to get the timing right to get the shots if these are as ephemeral.
April 19th, 2010 at 8:31 am
I love the snake! What a beauty! The flowers are lovely too, of course, but the snake is unusual.
My favorite flower photos are the landscapes, where you can see the carpet of flowers and the different colors all mixing together. Just beautiful.
April 19th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
There once was a time when you could find blankets of poppies like this everywhere – all around the entire state of California!!! Absolutely gorgeous!
April 19th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Loving your macros on these!
April 23rd, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Wow!!! Do you keep a watch to see when they are going to bloom, or do they tend to bloom at the same time every year?
April 24th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Kristin – the poppy bloom is dependent on rains, temperatures, and all of these things setting up at the right time months before they bloom. When they bloom, high winds, cold temps, rain storms can rip them apart and lay waste to the fields. If you are lucky, you can catch them for a 1 week period at peak (assuming the weather holds) – but it varies from year to year. Sometimes too much rain will cause grasses to overcrowd the poppies and they get choked out. Poppies close when it’s windy, cold, or cloudy too. Finicky, but totally worth it! :)
Steve – yes, I monitor reports starting in February. If it looks like it will be a good year, then you start to monitor for the peak. Usually it is around mid-April, but sometimes it’s early, sometimes late, and sometimes not at all. I went in late March and there was nothing, which is why I returned in mid April. Luckily, the weather and the flowers worked to our advantage!
April 25th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Jen, these are truly amazing. You have such a gift.