Ceropsis are Blooming

They're just starting to bloom in the Santa Monica Mountians. Last year they covered the hillsides. Just sharing the info with this grab shot yesterday.

I've been getting so annoyed with forgetting to convert from ProPhoto sRGB to sRGB I wrote a quick tutorial with this image. The colors here are way off you can see the difference and what happens when you forget to make the converison.

http://sieren.smugmug.com/gallery/5702061_CBZCi

Thanks for sharing this info, Steve. I would love to see at least one or two more rain sessions here in So Cal. this winter/spring season. I think that would improve our chances of better wildflower events around the area. Joshua Tree NP, Anza Borrego, Antelope Valley, & Gorman are always great places to hit if the rainfall events are enough before springtime. If my recall is correct, I think David S. had some nice stuff from San Jacinto Reserve, as well as Harley G. had some wildlflower shots from Amboy area last year or the year before. Eric G. also had poppy images from the Elsinore area, but that included dodging a rattlesnake as I recall

Man,

This is great! Wildflower season is almost upon us and it is only the end of Feb! I am really looking forward to poppies and rhododendrons in the NorCal redwoods.

In CO I would be waiting until July. But visiting the San Juans in July is like visiting another planet seriously! We are talking about abundant, dense Wildflowers 3-4+' high. Here is one example from American Basin: http://landandseaphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/4001545_6a2HT#237839442_ntmgg-XL-LB

I look forward to exploring the Sierras as well this summer. Thousand Island Lake is one place that comes to mind.

Derek

Paul, I'm surprised you have not had any rattlesnake issues w/ you dogs. I haven't seen one in the wild yet except for crossing the road while I'm going 65.

Derek, nice shot out there in the San Juans, everybody loves the San Juans. I really recommend camping at TI lake more than just one night. You'll glady thank me for that. Garnett is just next door to that. I could go on and on with more lakes but I have a feeling you'll find out.

Anyone notice the odd colors in the image above??

Steve, not that I look forward to ever seeing rattlesnakes while out in the field, it sure seems as though there are a lot fewer then when I was growing up. I can truthfully say, that every time my brothers and I took to open spaces as kids we would come acrossed at least one. One time, when I was alone on an outing in the foothills near Moreno Valley, I was taking a break sitting down on top of a very large flat boulder. As I always knew the presents of them in most of the area I decided to lay down and look under the bottom edge of the boulder. Low and behold there were 4 very large and fat ones curled up suning themselves under the rock.

Thanks for sharing, Steve. I'm looking forward to some southern CA wildflower
shooting in the coming months. Two springs ago I came across my first
rattler in the wild along State Route 140 about 4 miles west of Mariposa.
A friend and I were photographing Bachelor's Buttons in a ditch just off
the road. When we decided to leave, I assembled my gear and started
walking toward my car. I looked back to where I had matted down the
grass about 8 feet away only a minute or two earlier and slithering through
that spot came a rattler. At first my friend observing the snake said that
it was probably just a gopher snake. Within seconds it's tail emerged
from the taller grass with a nice set of rattles on the end. I'm glad that
I was no longer hunkered down in that location.

Thanks Steve. Can't wait to shoot some wildflowers, now I just have to find time, and figure out where to go!

Hi Steve: FYI, it's "Coreopsis" (that's the Genus also). Not sure of the specific species you've photo'd here.

Floris, I'll let know if I see the hillside's at pt. Mugu covered in these things. These are what grow on the Channel Islands for just a few weeks.

Michael, thanks. Do you by chance know how to pronounce that? I sure don't. (Core op sis) maybe?

Steve: kȯr-ē-ˈäp-səs Helpful?

If not: core-e-opsis

Thanks!

Yup they're rising out to smell the fresh air.

But I can't quite...quite see em from way up here. Why don't one of you Southern guys drive out to Algodones Dunes and give me a report.

Ordinarily the fg would be a little barren for my tastes, but with that eroded ridge in the bg it all seems to tie together quite nicely. Images like this are getting me pretty pumped for the wildflower season... and yes I'd rather not share it with Mr. Rattler, if I don't have to. Yep, walking amongst a pile of boulders with wildflowers up to your knees and hearing the unmistakable rattle and accompanied huffing noise, makes one stop dead in the tracks.