Desert candles above a flower-filled arroyo, Central Coast ranges, California, USA

Desert candles above a flower-filled arroyo, Coast Ranges, California

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind. We did a night-photography workshop in Death Valley in mid-April, which was really fun, with some great conditions. In early May I spoke at the NANPA Summit in Tucson, then immediately after that Claudia and I flew up to Washington for the Out of Olympic photography conference. Both those events were also lots of fun. We got to meet many wonderful people, connect with old friends, and photograph the beautiful rainforests and beaches of the Olympic Peninsula.

But meanwhile, all the winter rains in California had spawned an exceptional spring wildflower bloom, which we definitely wanted to see. So from early March to late April, sandwiched around our Death Valley workshop, and juggled with other events and projects, Claudia and I traveled to Antelope Valley, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and various locations in California’s Central Coast ranges.

And we found lots of flowers. It’s an extraordinary experience to see such vasts swaths of flowers in these normally dry desert or semi-desert areas. Rain makes these places explode with life. It seems as if years of pent-up energy has suddenly burst out, with the earth putting on a wildly-colored wardrobe to celebrate the event.

Here’s a selection of photographs from our wildflower odysseys this spring. Who knows when we’ll see this again?

— Michael Frye

Fingers of yellow, Coast Ranges, CA, USA

Fingers of yellow, Coast Ranges, California

Flower-coverd hills, Coast Ranges, CA, USA

Flower-coverd hills, Coast Ranges, California

Shrub and wildflowers, Antelope Valley, CA, USA

Shrub and wildflowers, Antelope Valley, California

Wildflowers at sunrise, Anza-Borrego Desert SP, CA, USA

Wildflowers at sunrise, Anza-Borrego Desert SP, California

Cactus, brittlebush, and Parrish's poppies, Anza-Borrego Desert SP, CA, USA

Cactus, brittlebush, and Parrish’s poppies, Anza-Borrego Desert SP, California

Ocotillo, chollas, and brittlebush, Anza-Borrego Desert SP, CA, USA

Ocotillo, chollas, and brittlebush, Anza-Borrego Desert SP, California

Cholla cactus garden, Anza-Borrego Desert SP, CA, USA

Cholla cactus garden, Anza-Borrego Desert SP, California

Flowers and tilted strata in the Central Coast ranges, CA, USA

Flowers and tilted strata in the Coast Ranges, California

Flower-draped hillsides, Central Coast ranges, CA, USA

Flower-draped hillsides, Coast Ranges, California

Desert candles and blazing stars, Central Coast ranges, CA, USA

Desert candles and blazing stars, Coast Ranges, California

Flower-filled ravine, Central Coast ranges, California, USA

Flower-filled ravine, Coast Ranges, California

Owl's clover and goldfields, Central Coast ranges, California, USA

Owl’s clover and goldfields, Coast Ranges, California

Wildflower array, Central Coast ranges, California, USA

Wildflower array, Coast Ranges, California

Flower designs, Central Coast ranges, California, USA

Flower designs, Coast Ranges, California



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Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author or principal photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, Yosemite Meditations for Women, Yosemite Meditations for Adventurers, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters. He has also written three eBooks: Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, Exposure for Outdoor Photography, and Landscapes in Lightroom: The Essential Step-by-Step Guide. Michael has written numerous magazine articles on the art and technique of photography, and his images have been published in over thirty countries around the world. Michael has lived either in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently residing just outside the park in Mariposa, California.