Happy as a Larkspur, pt. 2

Now for the second post from my trip to Kamiak Butte, this one focusing on wildflower closeups. This was a tricky prospect, due not only to breezes but also the abundant sunshine during my visit. Sunlight, unless it's right at sunrise or sunset, can make closeups quite difficult by creating unattractive contrast. I experimented with natural shading or diffusing provided by trees, as well as a bit of backlighting. In all cases, I used the widest aperture that my lens would allow me at a given focusing distance, to maximize selective focus effect.

We'll start out with this post series's namesake, larkspur - I think Nuttall's larkspur (Delphinium nutallianum). Sunlight was coming very faintly through some tree branches, helping to accentuate the foreground flower a bit.

Next is small-flowered woodland star (or prairie star), (Lithophragma parviflorum).

Below is Gray's desert parsley (Lomatium grayi), faintly lit by diffused sunlight.

Next is phlox (genus Phlox); I'm not positive about the precise species identification. I was particularly attracted to the interesting patterns the sunlight was making on the flowers, diffused as it was by some grass and tree branches.

Below is a flower that was new to me, clustered frasera (Frasera fastigiata).

Below are two more or less backlit shots of paintbrush flowers (genus Castilleja). For the first, I was able to use a high contrast situation to my advantage, darkening the shaded background and isolating the flowers.

While most were not blooming yet, I found that a few of the mallow ninebark shrubs (Physocarpus malvaceus) on the ridgetop had begun to do so. Ninebark is one of the predominant plants in the understory of Kamiak Butte's forests, so it'll be a pretty sight when they are all in flower.

Next is ballhead waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum). I've photographed this particular flower before, but never this close. It's a bit of an odd-looking flower cluster, really, but I like it.

Finally, long-flowered bluebell (Mertensia longiflora).