March in Like a Lion ( and leave the same way!)
For me this was a March for the history books! For me March has been a Lion all the way through. I cannot remember a March in which I experienced such a diversity of photographic experiences.
March roars in like a lion
So fierce,
The wind so cold,
It seems to pierce.
The month rolls on
And Spring draws near,
And March goes out
Like a lamb so dear
Lori Hill
March roars in like a lion
So fierce,
The wind so cold,
It seems to pierce.
The month rolls on
And Spring draws near,
And March goes out
Like a lamb so dear
Lori Hill
March is a transition from Winter to Spring - Reservoir on the Tejon Ranch
The theories on the origins for the saying “March in like a lion and leaves like a lamb” are multiple. Some are based on folklore describing the shift from winter to spring in the northern hemisphere. March is usually the month where winter shifts from winter to spring. So it usually starts off cold and stormy and ends calmer and warmer. Usually is the key word as there is nothing totally predictable during the transition between seasons. Which makes them so wonderful.
Another theory is based on the stars in the beginning of March Leo (the Lion) on the horizon at sunset but is replaced with Aires (the Ram) on the western horizon.
The most interesting insight was a Christian interpretation. It follows the thought that Jesus came into the world as a Lamb and will return as a Lion - in weather language means having a false spring.
Anyways for me, this March has been a “Lion” all month long. Its been one for the history books! Normally, March is kind of boring. Its cold, it rains, you stay inside. This March is different, I cannot remember one in which I experienced such a diversity of photographic experiences. It started off with a wonderful hike on the Tejon Ranch.
A storm had just broken up the night before and its remnants were hanging around the mountains. The result was this beautiful sunny day blessed with wonderful clouds that kept changing the light and shadows on the ground. A friend on the hike quipped “you could stand in one spot for the day and the scene would change a thousand times.”
The light kept changing creating these beautiful scenes
Beautiful Day
Beauty as far as the eye can see!
Then during my once a week work commute between LA and San Diego, Waze directed me out to the I-15. Well, from the I-15 there is no missing , the now infamous, Walker Canyon “super-bloom.” Luckily, I stopped to enjoy it weeks before the massive crowds made it a zoo.
Walker Canyon and I-15
The Hills are alive
Poppies prove that if small things join together they can make a big difference
Mountains, Clouds, and Spring Flowers what more could you ask for?
Even with spring wildflowers starting to bloom the March “Lion” was not finished yet. We took a trip up to the Eastern Sierra to check out how much snow was left. Oh my. We tend to be summer/hiking folks and don’t get up to the Sierra much in the winter months. 2019 has been an exceptional snow year and based on the snow still left on the ground and the fact it is still snowing the “Lamb” part of March missed its flight and won’t get into town till April.
First Light on Snow Covered Sierra
Closed for Winter! ::-)
All Roads Lead to Snow
Finally, I took a trek out to Death Valley to see the military pilots practice low level flying in a canyon nicknamed Star Wars Canyon (or called by the Pilots “the Jedi-transition.”) Talk about coming in like a Lion! The best description I can give about this canyon, other than “Oh sh*t”, it is the only place I know that you point your camera lens down to take a picture of a jet going by at several hundred miles an hour.
You can read the names of the pilots on the side of the plane!
Reminds me of a scene at the end of the “Dragnet” movie
I would call it tree top flying except there are no trees…
Hats off to these pilots they have a lot of “huevos” and I am glad I am on their side
While March still has few days left it will be snowing in Mammoth so I am not sure we will see the spring “Lamb” until April.
With a March like I had I cannot wait to see what April brings!
If you enjoyed this please share. Comments are always appreciated.
Clouds are the Photographers Spice of Life
Clouds are a landscape photographer's spice to add flavor to their images. Don't believe me, do a google on "Ansel Adam on cloud" and see how many hits come up of his images that have "cloud" in the name.
My point is this, There are a lot of good images that have a bright blue cloudless sky. There are many more "great" images of the same location that have clouds in the sky! I love the Owens Valley, it is gorgeous. That said, would the above image be so moving if it did not have those wonderful clouds in the sky? I think not.
Hwy 395 in the Owens Valley
Clouds are a landscape photographer's spice to add flavor to their images. Don't believe me, do a google on "Ansel Adam on cloud" and see how many hits come up of his images that have "cloud" in the name.
My point is this, There are a lot of good images that have a bright blue cloudless sky. There are many more "great" images of the same location that have clouds in the sky! I love the Owens Valley, it is gorgeous. That said, would the above image be so moving if it did not have those wonderful clouds in the sky? I think not.
At times I travel a lot. When I do I spend a lot of hours in airplanes. It was during those hours that I really fell in love with clouds and how God paints the sky with them. I am amazed how many folks who have window seats who never even look out at the incredible scenes that are going by their windows.
Now, I always try for a window seat. It soothes my soul watching those wonderful clouds float by. It makes the hours of the flight, fly by (pun intended.) I take my camera almost every trip and have come away with some incredible images. See a few below. Most think I am crazy because I root for the plane to get closer to those thunderheads, damn the turbulence, I want to get my picture!
Prehistoric World from 30,000 feet
The Octopus
Wingtip Almost Touches the Clouds
Can You See it? Near the top of the cloud, just to the right of center there looks like a scratch in the image. It is actually another airliner. So just imagine the immense scale of that cloud!
So forgive the long download time. I am going to let my cloud images do the talking for me. After an hour + of trying to whittle the number of images down I still have too many images in this post . If you like the images with clouds you may want to check out my friend Matt Granz work http://avax.news/charming/Storm_Clouds_by_Photographer_Matt_Granz.html. He has gone head over heels for Storm chasing and a lot fo his images are breathtaking!
So sit back and enjoy the clouds!
Reflections
Tenaya Lake, Yosemite - Stormy Above, Calm Below
Venice Beach California - Looking into a Mirror
Horse Shoe Lake Mammoth Lakes, Ca - Big Sky
Stormy
Shrouded Half Dome Yosemite, Ca
Stormy North Lake - Bishop Ca
Crowley Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Ca - Sunset was competing with the 4th of July Fireworks
Clearing Storm over the Minaretes, Mammoth Lakes, Ca
Tuscany, Italy - Clouds Add Spice Everywhere in the World
El Matador State Beach, Ca - God Painting His Canvas with Color
Sunrise over Mono Lake, Ca - Trail to Parker Lake
Sunset Mammoth Lakes, Ca - This is under 10 feet of snow right now!
Have I convinced you? Don't landscape images look better with a touch of photogrpaher's spice?