Daffodils

In April, the Skagit Valley is awash in color as tulips of every shape & color fill the perfectly tilled fields. But I was not here in April, I was here in March when the daffodils filled the valley with a yellow as vibrant as the sun. It was late in the day when my friends & I arrived as we headed to Mt Baker for a weekend of snowshoeing & photography. This side trip seemed like a perfect way to start off the weekend and take a break in our drive.

Late in the day, the sun angled nicely over the daffodil fields highlighting the rows of flowers. And yet in the background off towards the mountains storm clouds turned a dark grey in contrast.This is March in the northwest, bright afternoon light through cloud breaks we call sucker holes while the morning rain clouds push against the mountains dumping heavy spring snow on the slopes. This combination makes for a dramatic composition.

Squatting, I realized I couldn't quite get low enough to make the composition work as I had envisioned. I would have to lay in the mud. I am never opposed to lying down to get the image I see in my head, but now I had to look for an area with the least amount of gooey mud. Finally finding my spot, I angled the camera up to include the dark grey sky against the bright yellow flowers. The flowers seemed to be soaking in the last rays of sun for the day, happy that the storm had passed.