Posted by Kalin Wilson on April 20, 2010 at 12:53 PM
Spent the weekend in Lancaster, CA among the poppy bloom. WOW! What a fun first experience. I flew in on Friday and did a little scouting (over 300 miles on the rental) from Antelope Valley to Carrizo Plain. I ended up spending Saturday and Sunday among the poppies in Antelope Valley. It was an amazing display. Taking in the grand vistas, it looked like the desert was on fire.
Here are a few from my first processing run to give an idea of the conditions. I'm with Todd, I wish some of the Colorado displays were as dense.
Desert Fire
Canon 5DII, Nikon 14-24 f/2.8
Posted by Kalin Wilson on April 20, 2010 at 12:54 PM
Carrizo Plain
Canon 5DII, Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
Posted by Kalin Wilson on April 20, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Waiting for the Sun
Canon 5DII, Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
Posted by Kalin Wilson on April 20, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Poppy Poetry
Canon 5DII, Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
Posted by Mel Ladewig on April 20, 2010 at 2:01 PM
I like the third image alot Kalin. Glad to see some folks from the forum traveling to experience these excellent blooms. Wish I had the time to get away right now.
Excellent colors! I like the comp in the first one with the wall to wall poppies. But I also like the purple and yellow in the second shot, but I also like the closeups, Oh well, I like them all!
Posted by Darren Huski on April 20, 2010 at 7:59 PM
Wow. Looks nice.
Posted by Jim Casteel on April 20, 2010 at 9:11 PM
Looks like you had a great time! You sure brought home some great shots :)
Wow, it looks like you hit peak bloom, what a sight! Especially like 1 and 2.
Posted by Kalin Wilson on April 20, 2010 at 10:44 PM
Thanks guys. It will be fun to go through the whole lot. The last shot is one that I really wanted to get - the backlit portrait. 1 & 2 were posted just to show the density of the bloom, I appreciate the comments.
@will, I checked out Antelope Valley and Carrizo Plain (and the drive between). I only got about 12 miles into Carrizo from the south end but most of the color was ground cover as in the shot I posted. I'd seen some better examples on the CANP forum but didn't see it myself. So I don't know if it's past peak or if I didn't make it to the right spot. The Gorman area also has some great color from ground cover. Taking the Gorman Post road might be a possibility. The Poppies and clover are best around the Poppy preserve. Take some of the dirt roads south of Avenue D between 170th and 110th to escape the crowds. The densest bloom is around 170th West. The best hillside displays are in the preserve. Have fun! Watch out for snakes!
Posted by Don George on April 21, 2010 at 11:35 AM
Kalin,,,,Great set of images and report. Especially enjoyed the snake images I would have never expected them to be there.
Posted by Brian Jackson on April 21, 2010 at 12:27 PM
Discussion
20 repliesHere are a few from my first processing run to give an idea of the conditions. I'm with Todd, I wish some of the Colorado displays were as dense.
Desert Fire
Canon 5DII, Nikon 14-24 f/2.8
Canon 5DII, Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
Canon 5DII, Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
Canon 5DII, Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
Mel-
I like 'em all, but that third one is so unique and (dare I say) pretty.
@will, I checked out Antelope Valley and Carrizo Plain (and the drive between). I only got about 12 miles into Carrizo from the south end but most of the color was ground cover as in the shot I posted. I'd seen some better examples on the CANP forum but didn't see it myself. So I don't know if it's past peak or if I didn't make it to the right spot. The Gorman area also has some great color from ground cover. Taking the Gorman Post road might be a possibility. The Poppies and clover are best around the Poppy preserve. Take some of the dirt roads south of Avenue D between 170th and 110th to escape the crowds. The densest bloom is around 170th West. The best hillside displays are in the preserve. Have fun! Watch out for snakes!