Snag Reflection

I thought this was a pretty interesting tree snag reflection at Round Lake in Camas. 

I was thinking the photo might look too busy, but I have to say I don't mind it at all. 

Linking to Weekend Reflections.

Chocolate Lily

Fritillaria lanceolata (Perhaps) 

I wasn't even aware of this lily until a couple of wildflower hikers pointed it out a few weeks ago in Camas. I saw lots later in the week at Memaloose Trail in Oregon, but they were fading fast at that point. Next year I need to remember to look for them at Memaloose in late April. 

Winter Light

I stumbled upon Fallen Leaf Lake Park in Camas yesterday. I knew it was near Lacamas, vaguely, but just lucked into spotting the almost hidden entrance as I was heading home from a day in the gorge. I'll explore it more later, but did a quick walk while the sun was still up, and happened upon a really great patch of light. So glad we got sunshine for the first day of winter; I just love the low light angle this time of year.

Camas Study 6

Thank you for all the input yesterday on camas selection; it helps me in narrowing down my decision. I'm finishing up calendar layout today, so I have to select on short notice which I don't like to do. After looking through my camas photos, I decided to post today's photo in the study as well.  I liked it for all the subtle variations in blues and purples. I do think this will be the last camas photo for the season. Hopefully I can finish up the calendar layout today and get out with my camera again tomorrow...

Camas Study 5

Well, I made it back to the camas field this morning for a third time this season.  I tried to go yesterday, got all the way to the park, headed out on the trail, turned on my camera, and realized that the new battery I loaded was not charged.  An unfortunate breakdown in my system.  So I headed home and got my batteries charged for this morning.  The field has aged noticeably in two days, so if I get a strong urge to visit one more time this season, it will have to be in the next day or two, and given that our forecast turns to rain tomorrow I think today's visit was probably my last for the season. Sigh. I haven't even looked through all my photos yet, so I expect I'll post a few more in this study. (Sorry if anyone is tiring of it, but this series of photos has represented some growth for me, and I'm interested in working though that a bit more. Plus I'm super infatuated with the flowers if you haven't noticed!) Today's shot is actually the last one I took.  I was heading down the hill to leave and kept stopping and photographing as I went.  I'm glad I made the stop for this flower, because this was just the balance of focus and not-focus that I was looking for today.  Plus I think the color is pretty in its richness.

Camas Study 4

This morning I headed back to the blue camas field at Lacamas Park in the aptly named town of Camas, Washington. I only took my 80-200 lens, with the goal of taking a super isolating closeup of a camas blossom, done in the style of my photography icon, Jim Brandenburg.  Feeling pretty good about this one.  I'm starting to get the hang of this kind of photography, and I actually think I'll head back there one more time tomorrow morning to try out a few other ideas I have.  The field is absolutely magical early in the morning.  It's a common theme with the other sunrise folks, runners, hikers.  We are all so awestruck by the overwhelming beauty of these flowers that you have to stop and share it with anyone you happen to meet, so I end up having a lot of conversations with the other early risers as we marvel at these beautiful flowers.

Camas Study 3

A grassier location at the camas field.  And a little bit harsher light too.  I wasn't able to get back to the field today, but I'm planning a trip out there for tomorrow morning.  Our sunny weather looks like it will hold through the weekend and into next week. 

Camas Study 2

When I started 45journal I was really inspired by the photography of Jim Brandenburg. I spent my first year on the blog trying to copy all his photos, and sometimes I still try to capture his style. I wasn't thinking about his prairie wildflower photos when I was at the camas field, but once I saw this shot on the computer I felt that it most closely resembled his style which includes a very narrow depth of focus. Of course I quickly looked up some of his wildflower photos, and realized I still fall short.  Looking at his amazing photography makes me want to head back to Camas again on Friday morning with his narrow depth of field in mind. If you're interested in viewing his work, search Jim Brandenburg prairie smoke or JimBrandenburg prairie coneflowers for two really great examples. 

Camas Study 1

As the title name implies, I'm probably going to post a series of photos from my trip to the camas field in Lacamas Regional Park.  Camas is a perennial flower in the Pacific Northwest.  Related to the asparagus, it has a sweet inulin-rich bulb that was a staple food for Native American tribes. I've got a lot of photos from this dewy early morning visit.  Maybe they will all look the same to me tomorrow, but right now I'm imagining I will want to post several, as I decide what I like and don't like about each shot.  In this photo I like the addition of the pink clover, and also the diagonal line created by the clover-rich foreground. 

Camas, Early Morning

A Lake of Fine Clear Water

Here's a broader view of part of the camas field at Lacamas Park.  The entire "path" through the field happened to also be a small stream of water that leads to a waterfall a short distance from the field, so it's a muddy walk in the spring.  I read a Lewis and Clark quote about how a camas field looks like a lake from the distance, and I agree, although I don't think I captured that illusion very well with my photo.  The quote, which I'm recording second hand, appears to be from their time head back east in the Weippe (WEE-ipe) Prairie in Idaho.  I'm including the reference info, although I can't personally validate it. 

 the quawmash is now in blume at a Short distance it resemhles a lake of fine clear water, So complete is this deseption that on first Sight I could have Sworn it was water. ..." 

[Clark, June 12, 1806, at Weippe Prairie, Idaho]

Camas

I first discovered a blue camas field back when we were living in Olympia, and it was a wonderful sight to come upon.  Camas is found throughout the region, and in fact the nearby town of Camas is named for this flower.  This particular field in Lacamas Park is in bloom right now, and maybe through next week.  I've tried to do some research on the plant, because it's historically relevant to the region.  Camas was a Native American staple.  Called quamash by the native tribes here, it also goes by the names blue camas and camas lily, and is related to the hyacinth east of the Rockies.  It has a bulb-like root, so I was imagining it to be something like an onion, especially with the purple flower, but from what I've read it is more like a potato.  I've never seen it served around here though; the fields don't seem to be all that plentiful so people tread carefully through them during the few weeks that this beautiful flower is in bloom.

Lacamas Park in the Rain

The weather can change quickly around here, especially in the spring. During my visit to Lacamas Park in Camas we got a light rain, then sunshine, then another light rain, and sun again. Rainbow weather, although I didn't see any. The weather here constantly amazes me. I've probably said this on the blog before, but in the Pacific Northwest we can get more weather patterns in a single day than we got in the Central Valley in an entire season! I thought this reflection pattern caught the weather changes pretty well. I went for my fastest shutter speed to freeze the little water droplet rings in the reflection.

November Rain

Or Through My Rainy Windshield #2.  After a very sunny October, our weather pattern has turned and given way to a drizzly November.  Today is another big errand running day, but I managed to take a little detour in between a drop off and pick up this morning to explore the countryside north of Camas and continue the "through my rainy windshield" series.