Eastern Sierra Lupine

There are some lupine at peak bloom right now above Independence. Unrelenting winds, cloudless skies and hazy air made for a less than satisfying photographic experience this weekend, but it's always good to be in the Eastern Sierra regardless! I can only go up to about ISO 400 with my 30d and retain any kind of quality, and with that I was able to almost freeze the blowing flowers here (you can tell they're not sharp when you zoom in). I like the comp, so I'll probably return in the future when conditions are more promising. Hope everyone is enjoying this amazing spring.

Thanks for sharing, Anish. I'm going to try to go to the
Eastern Sierra in a week or two for wildflowers and other
scenics. Considering the conditions that you had to
work with, I believe that you did well with this image.

I was up in the hills above Independence Friday night (did you see two campers on pickups?). I found the same conditions as you for the weekend. An awful hazy blue sky and relentless winds. Tough for photography, but excellent beer drinking conditions. So I went with what works and enjoyed a couple of excellent malted beverages and saved a ton of money on film and processing.

Good thinking, Harley! I probably saw you amid my wandering. If you saw a guy in a blue Altima stopping here and there scanning the sky for any trace of a cloud, that was me. The flowers were looking great, so I may actually head up again this coming weekend if conditions look more promising.
Robert, you'll be pleased with the blooms. Have fun up there...

Anish,

Did you spend the night by the side of the road? I saw a photographer out in the field as I went by heading South to check the bush Lupine on Whitney Portal road ( just below Lone pine Creek Campground) Not blooming yet, just budding. THis is a very good image under the conditions.

Paul

Thanks, Paul. I didn't camp there, but I arrived on the scene while it was still dark, well before sunrise. These lupine were near a dirt road off old 395.

Very nice image considering the conditions. I'll be heading up that way this weekend and will have to look for some lupines.

I'm real familiar with this area I spend my E. Sierra getaway time at a Cavco cabin at Aberdeen. Corner of Gooddale Creek Road and old 395. Will be up there this weekend. Aberdeen and it's surrounding areas within 6 or 7 miles along Old 395 is still full of fantastic color. Contact me by e-mail if you want to get together and compare notes. Looks like we could have gotten a good crowd of Canper's last weekend. Will post my own thread with my "Later" light pictures.

Paul

Paul,
I'd love to hear an update on bloom conditions after this weekend's trip. I want to get up there again, but not sure when I can make it. Hopefully the bloom lasts a couple weeks longer. I'm also looking forward to a good Iris bloom near Bishop.

I'll shoot you an e-mail and if I get good images post on Sunday. I'll definitely be checking the lupine area off ol'395 and Whitney Portal Rd. the Buttermilk Country for the balsamroot and the Iris on Brockman Lane. ( By the By they are running a workshop out of the Mountain Light gallery this weekend.) See my images on wildflower thread, I posted some teasers there, from 2008. The Eureka Valley and the pass over to death valley may be popping too Beaver tail Cactus for sure. I wonder when the cholla bloom in the Joshua tree forest?

Paul