Washington has some amazing landscapes. From our snow-capped volcanoes to the channeled scablands, a photographer will never lose variety and inspiration in our scenery. And so it was this idea that brought me to the Mima Mounds for the first time several years ago. I had heard of vast meadows south of Olympia filled with native wildflowers and odd mounds.
The first time I visited, I had just missed the peak of the wildflowers. The next time I was there just before the peak. And always at mid-day. Even though on some days I visited the skies were overcast, I never truly got images I was pleased with - images that showed the beauty & mystery of the mounds.
Then finally it came to me - visit the mounds when I hear that the flowers are blooming and after work so I could hit the Natural Area during the golden hour. I was but one of 3 cars in the parking lot as I arrived and began my meandering through the mounds which geologists are still trying to understand. The camas fluttered in the breeze, a coyote trotted off into the distance. And as the sun began to set, the sky lit up. I took several exposures to blend in photoshop later and capture the true beauty of the scene.
