Blue Skies at Perry Creek

On Saturday, I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and hiked the Perry Creek trail, which is one of my favorite early-season mountain hikes. The weather was by far the warmest for any hike I've done this year. While hiking uphill, I had a moment where I thought to myself, "why am I sweaty and uncomfortable?" I realized that this feeling was indeed warmth, and I needed to shed some layers! Once I'd made that mental transition, I had an excellent time in the sunshine, admiring the mountains and watching hummingbirds zip around.

First, two shots of Hall Peak through maple trees. These are compositions I've never been able to try before, because clouds would make for too much contrast between the sky and the maple trunk. I haven't decided which of these I like better. The first one has a better sense of depth, and the mountain is more prominent; the second one has fun near-symmetry. F/14.

Because of the sunshine, and because of the breezes that the sunshine was generating, I didn't have as much success with wildflower closeups as I've enjoyed in the past. I like this shot of trillium, however; the different colors are due to the fact that trillium petals turn purple as they age. The sunlight was filtered through some trees, which helped moderate the contrast. I also like the yellow flowers (some sort of violet) that are out of focus in the background. F/5.

Next, a little stream along the trail, with what I think are devil's club leaves (among others) in the foreground. F/16, 1.6 seconds.

Lastly, one more shot of Hall Peak, this time framed through new maple leaves. F/16.

Clear Day at Deception Pass

Every spring, I try to see the wildflowers up in the Deception Pass/Fidalgo Island area. This year, I visited Lighthouse Point in Deception Pass State Park on an exceptionally clear, and exceptionally quiet, rare Monday morning off work. The sunshine and breezes made very close flower shots a challenge, but I enjoyed having blue sky and water colors to work with, as well as good visibility of the Olympic mountains.

First, camas flowers (Camassia quamash) with Deception Island in the distance. The Olympics are visible as well, but at this depth of field they don't stand out very well. F/6.3.

Next, chocolate lily (Fritillaria affinis). Because of the darker flower color, these ones are easy to miss, but I was fortunate enough to find this one growing alongside a trail. F/5.6.

Next, one of my favorite flowers: broadleaf stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium). I didn't get quite as close to the flowers as I have in the past (see the first photo here),  but I like how the shapes and colors of the plants are more perceptible. F/5.

Here's a new flower for me: I suspect it might be common woolly sunflower (Eriophyllum lanatum). I like the stark color contrast in this shot. F/5.

Lastly for the wildflowers, death-camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum). Neither of my tripods worked for the camera height I needed for this shot, so I had to shoot handheld. Because of that, the sharpness isn't quite what I'd like it to be. F/6.3.

Now a landscape from the day: looking roughly south from Lighthouse Point toward West Point and the Olympics beyond. F/14.