Spring Time in Southern California

The generous rains of the 2016/2017 winter season are starting to pay dividends in the form of an incredibly beautiful eruption of color in the local foothills and nearby open spaces of Southern California. Here, a trail meanders along the base of a small hill dotted with beautiful yellow wildflowers.

Every day new areas are coming to life with bright vivid color. I created this photograph along the 241 Toll Road as clouds began to gather and build. "April showers bring may flowers."

It's amazing just where all of these wild flowers take root and explode into such wonderful spring displays! I made this photograph just before the 241 - Bake Street over crossing.

I found these beautiful wild Lupines in a field along Santiago Canyon Road. I went back a few days later and they were already spent.

Note To Self: Get 'em while you got 'em!

This is one of the taller hills in the area which I spotted from a great distance off. I loved how the yellow wild mustard covered the majority of the hill and especially how it draped the smooth round summit which also contrasted nicely in front of the beautiful powder blue sky.

Yellow seems to be the dominate color of this year's spring. Some years the Lupine steal the show, but not this year. Here, I found an entire hillside of Black-Eyed Susan's. I isolated my focus on one flower and threw the rest of the scene out of focus by using a wide aperture (which also allowed me to shoot with a faster shutter on what was a relatively breezy day.)