Carrizo Plain National Monument Super Bloom


“I wish that all of nature’s magnificence, the emotion of the land, the living energy of place could be photographed.”

~Annie Leibovitz

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Carrizo Super Bloom

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Fiddlenecks

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

A Field of Goldfields

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Purple Phacelia

 

“Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.”

~John Muir

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Yellow Explosion

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Purple Sea

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Draped

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Soda Lake

 

“Where flowers bloom so does hope.”

~Lady Bird Johnson

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Happy Together

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Carrizo Hills

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Baby Blue Eye Fans

 

“Take nothing but pictures

Kill nothing but time

Leave nothing but footprints

To show you came by”

~John Kay

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Leave No Trace, Please!

 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, Wildflowers, Nature Photography, California, Carrizo Plain, Landscape Photography, Fujifilm X-T2

Spot of Purple

 

 

 

Categories: Flowers, Plants and Trees, Landscapes, Nature, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , ,

121 comments

  1. Wow. I love that you seen yellow even on the mountains. What an amazing spot. I also love the blue and yellow together. My favourite.

    Liked by 3 people

  2. True expression of Spring

    Liked by 3 people

  3. Ahhh…such a place. I do like your colourful photographs.

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Wow…. so stunning! Can’t imagine being there.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. WOW WOW WOW. So beautiful.. I don’t have words.. I’m just in awe. Thank you for sharing!

    Liked by 3 people

  6. Spectacular. Amazing how well California does when it gets a little rain. I found Annie Leibovitz’s quote interesting – I’d always thought of her as a portrait photographer, didn’t know she had an interest in landscapes.

    Liked by 3 people

  7. Wow so incredibly stunning Jane!

    Liked by 3 people

  8. Glorious Jane! I want to paint them all, especially the Purple Sea 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  9. I yearned to see this super bloom in person, but your images were the next best thing. Amazing! Such a reward after the recent drought. Looks like you and Jet were on the same wave length this time around! 😀

    Liked by 3 people

    • Hi Gunta, I was happy that we could make a side trip on our way up from LA. Carrizo is a remote gem! So glad you enjoyed these images– it was lucky we could go on a Monday– few people and a relaxed atmosphere. Yes, Jet and I are on the same wavelength — the wildflowers are now starting to bloom for us in the Bay Area. Thanks so much and hope you are doing well!

      Like

  10. These pictures are simply spectacular, Lauri. I’ve been promised myself to go there one day, but why, I probably could see better views than what you showed us here!

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Spectacular, Jane! I’m guessing you used a wide-angle lens for most of these shots?? Your images are breathtaking. Nature is amazing.

    Liked by 2 people

  12. The explosion of yellow was a big one. The purple one, not too shabby. Fortunately you didn’t have to jockey too much to photograph. We have patches of green here and there among the prairie grasses. Though spring has begun, we have rumors of late winter storm/blizzard to take shape later this week … maybe beginning on Wednesday. If we do get the snow, it would really jump start the spring season here.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Hi David, Thank you, and Mother Nature sure knows how to pair complementary colors. 🙂 Does a spring snowstorm get the bloom going? I do miss the beauty of snow….

      Like

      • Yes it does. A late winter storm is the only moisture the wildflowers in the high mountain meadows receive to get things going. Also loaded with the “right kind” of nutrients. I think I might have a photo or two of mountain wildflowers. If not, my bank calendar does.

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Wow! What a sight. How intoxicating it must be to witness this in person.
    Glorious photography, Jane!

    Liked by 3 people

  14. Spectacular! Thanks so very much, Jane, for sharing this explosion of wildflowers in Carrizo Plain. Your photos give us a rush of exhilaration, expressing the magnificence of this wildflower extravaganza. Loved that you included the names of the flowers, and as always, really liked the quotes. I appreciate, too, that you included a quote from Lady Bird Johnson, the queen of wildflowers. I have enjoyed the Carrizo Plain in spring, and know the vastness there; your photos captured it well. Really well done.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Thanks so much, Jet! I could’ve used your identification skills. It really is a special place– I am always amazed at the vast and remote places in California. The drive through Los Padres National Forest to get there was exciting, too. Lady Bird is smiling down on Carrizo this spring. I really appreciate your warm response. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Oh my, as always, you blow me away…keep blowing as hard as you like!!

    Liked by 3 people

  16. Jane, you absolutely filled your amazing images with Annie Leibovitz’s quote.

    Liked by 3 people

  17. Oh wow! And wow again. I wish I could see this. At least I get to see your exquisite photos. Thank you. I’ve seen other photos on FB. Was it something special about the weather this year?
    Alison

    Liked by 3 people

    • Thank you so much, Alison. It is quite remote but we happened to be coming up the coast which made it doable. Yes, super blooms happen after a rainy winter season plus some other variables. It is supposed to happen about once a decade but we had one in 2017 as well. Happy you enjoyed these!

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Beautiful images. What a lovely place, amazing colors. Still waiting for the flourishing spring here in Sweden. It’s just around the corner.

    Liked by 2 people

  19. Love the purple sea Jane, didn’t see any of that during our visit. Beautiful captures as always

    Liked by 1 person

  20. A beautiful collection. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Super photos, super post, fit for a super bloom!

    Liked by 2 people

  22. I was about to contact you and find out how it went. Now I know. What an amazing bounty! Your shots, especially with the mountains in the background, are stunning. My wife and I will be there on Tuesday. Can’t wait.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi Michael, Thanks so much! We were there on Monday and the crowds were minimal. It was amazing and vibrant– don’t think it’s even at peak yet. We came up from LA and another surprise was driving through Los Padres National Forest. Wow!
      Roads were dry and passable around Soda Lake.
      Happy shooting!

      Like

  23. GASP!!!! LOVE THIS! Oh, my goodness, beyond beautiful. Nature’s artistry is staggering.
    I only wish folks would stay on the paths. 😦 Do they really think that plants will survive being trampled? Sigh.
    Love this post, Jane, thank you for sharing your lovely photos. ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    • I thought of you, Eliza, thank you! Incredible beauty and exciting to see.
      Sadly, there are those who just cannot respect the environment. Couldn’t resist a public service message. 😉

      Like

      • I’ve been thinking about your photos all morning. I wish I was still out there. Next superbloom I need to rent a camper and follow the bloom south to north, lol!
        Your message was very subtle, I would have brought out the hammer, I think! Some folks just don’t understand anything less than that, unfortunately.

        Liked by 1 person

  24. WOW!!!! Absolutely STUNNING shots…so clear, colorful truly DREAMY….spectacular eye Jane!!!👍

    Liked by 2 people

  25. I’m so glad you got to see this in person. I’d heard about California’s superbloom and was tempted to drive over and have a look for myself. Practicality won out: three days there and three back would have been a bit much.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. The grandeur of it all. Just breathtaking. Loved the Leibovitz quote.

    Liked by 2 people

  27. Youre so lucky to capture the super bloom. Ive seen poppies but that many! Fabluous shots Jane 👍🏻😀

    Liked by 2 people

  28. When nature is left to itself it can produce the most amazing sights. Those hills covered in yellow are spectacular, but I winced seeing the people in among the flowers. I can appreciate wanting to get close, but the hat ladies look to be sitting right on them! Lovely photos Jane. Thanks for sharing these. I have been admiring Steve’s (Texas wildflowers) cemetery flowers in Texas all week.
    https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/tag/colony/

    Liked by 1 person

  29. Wow! Wonderful flowers! An explosion af colours!

    Liked by 2 people

  30. Jane, you are a magician with your camera ~ beautiful photos, and the Annie Leibovitz quote sets the tone to this post so perfectly. I really like the depth of field shot (Yellow Explosion), but your framing of the Carrizo Hills ~ I could sit there all day. Just wish I had a helicopter so I could fly and set down right in the middle of it all 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi Randall, Thank you so much! It was a thrilling day wandering around and fortunately quite empty compared to the weekends during this super bloom mayhem. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the shots along with that favorite Annie quote. I really appreciate your visit here.

      Like

  31. Love Spring…….so much to look forward to. I love your photos, Jane!

    Liked by 3 people

  32. Wow! That is a awesome sight!

    Liked by 3 people

  33. Beautiful scenes of the big field covered with the bright color flowers.

    Liked by 3 people

  34. What a visual treat. It must be amazing to witness first hand.

    Liked by 3 people

  35. Wow Jane, what a feast for the eyes!

    Liked by 3 people

  36. Awesome pictures! a piece of heaven on earth ❤

    Liked by 3 people

  37. WOW! What an amazing sight, beautifully captured Jane.

    Liked by 2 people

  38. Hi. Thanks for sharing such beautiful images. I also love Annie Leibovitz’s quote. Have a wonderful day, dear friend. Happy Photography. Best Wishes. Goff

    Liked by 3 people

  39. Nice pics as always. 🙂 I love that saying by John Kay. I wish I’d seen it earlier, as I was just telling someone off for posting some pictures of bunches of wild flowers in their hands. Though I did say that you should take nothing away but photographs and memories. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    • Thank you so much, Mike. Glad you enjoyed. love that poem, too. Good for you that you said something–and it was clever. I didn’t have the nerve but at least made an example of them in my post. Education is key….and maybe a bit of social media pressure. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      • I should also have mentioned that many wild flowers (most in fact) have Protected status in many of the Swiss cantons, even though they might be quite common. You may not know but each canton (equivalent to your states) can pass their own laws. (E.g. smoking indoors was gradually banned canton by canton over a period of about 2 years, so for a while you could go from one canton to another, as I did for my job, and the rule was different. Not that I smoked, I tried to avoid it! Quite often they have federal or national votes to decide the law or just the way forward on a particular issue across the country. Anyway, I digress….) My Swiss Alpine flower book tells me which cantons each flower is Protected in though, of course, all wild flowers should be Protected everywhere. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  40. You are right, all these landscapes are worth to be photographed and seen by everyone

    Liked by 3 people

  41. Wonderful! Especially on the hillsides; fine series, Jane! 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

  42. Oooh! Marvellous sight, Jane!

    Liked by 2 people

  43. enjoyed these – and my fav is the one of the photographers – and then the two hats – such vibrancy throughout

    Liked by 3 people

    • Thank you, Yvette. It is an incredible sight -glad you enjoyed these. I like to include people in my landscapes. The ladies in the hats, however, are an example of bad behavior by trampling the wildflowers.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Well I actually wondered about that because in one of the captions you reminded us to not touch and not take – and they were trampling –
        and I also love when photographers add people because it makes these gorgeous photos a little more personable and brings the human connection (and big time with the hat people – ha)

        Liked by 1 person

  44. Wow, wow, wow!!! The pictures are unbelievable!! Could spend days in the overwhelming landscape. Love it, Jane!!

    Liked by 3 people

  45. Wow! What a sight, Jane! 🙂 🙂 The glory of nature.

    Liked by 3 people

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