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Monday, May 27, 2019

Tulip Time

Well....it was tulip time about 2 months ago, but being terminally behind on my posts, you get to see it now!  Better late than never huh?


The famous pink tractor

In mid-April my neighbor, mentor and all-around photography buddy Cheri mentioned we should take a trip out to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm near Woodburn, Oregon.  Every year this huge farm opens it's doors when their tulip fields begin to bloom.  And boy is it a sight!


Tulip fields pre-sunrise

I'd first visited Wooden Shoe back in 2015.  It was so pretty I vowed to return every year.  Well, life got in the way, and I hadn't been back since.  So I was all in favor of reacquainting myself via an early morning photography session.


Sunrise was a dud, but we did get some pink-tinged clouds

So Cheri and I rose at an ungodly early hour one Friday morning and made the dark and foggy drive out to the tulip farm.  Once arrived, we pulled on our mud boots (it had been rainy the week prior and we'd been warned about boggy fields).


Sunrise over the pink tractor

In the early morning darkness we trudged out to the colorful fields, looking for the best place to set up for sunrise shots.  Wooden Shoe likes to place different props in their fields, and Cheri spotted the famous pink tractor.  A small group of photographers were gathering nearby, so we headed over.


Multicolored stripes

We decided on a spot near the pink tractor and unfurled our tripods.  Cheri had brought her flash unit, and experimented with a few flash images of the tulips.  I turned up my ISO and tried several super-long exposures of the darkened fields.


Huge field of lovely red tulips

And then, the sunrise came.  Well, sort of.  The cloudy sky lightened, and the clouds were briefly tinged with a slight pink hue.  Quite underwhelming.


Cheri in her element

Since sunrise had been such a dud, Cheri and I focused on the flowers.  Rows and rows of colorful tulips demanded our camera's attention.  No shortage of subject matter here!


Raindrops on pink tulips

For such an early hour quite a few people were milling about the fields.  Lots of photographers lugging tripods vied for the best spots.  It was hard to stay out of each other's way but most folks were considerate.  However, one clueless lady plopped her tripod right next to the pink tractor, smack-dab in several photographer's shots (Cheri and I included).  Cheri wasn't shy (and neither was I) at telling her to move.


Loved these two-color ones

Rain had fallen the night before and I loved getting some close-up images of droplet-speckled petals.


Backlit raindrops

Sun shining behind the dewdrops made for some cool images.


More bands of color

Cheri and I meandered our way across the fields, stopping often to click on something that caught our eye.


So much to photograph!

The fields were nearing full bloom, and the horizontal stripes of different colored tulips were stunning.


I liked these spiky tulips

I never knew there were so many varieties of tulips.  Like these with spiky petals on top.


Field of spiky ones

But my most favorite flower patch was the one with different colored tulips.


My favorite was the multicolored tulips

I just loved all the varieties of color!  Wooden Shoe had placed their windmill next to the multicolored patch and it made for some good photo ops.  However, the light wasn't shining in quite the right direction.  No problem, we photographers make do.


Windmill and tulips

Such an explosion of color!  Why did I wait so long to return to this place?  Never again!


Bold colors

Of course, the place sells lots of bulbs and fresh cut tulips, and I couldn't leave without snagging a lovely bouquet of my own.


One more close up!

Thanks Cheri for another wonderful morning of photography!


17 comments:

  1. I would really like to see a field of tulips like this one.

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  2. ...wow, wow, WOW! When I was in the nursery business Woodburn was a destination for me. I need to get out there some April, thank for this color explosion!

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  3. Hello, tulip time is beautiful. Love all the colors and beautiful tulips. The windmill is neat too. Lovely series of photos. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!

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  4. I enjoyed the tulips so much, Linda. Whether they are already gone or not, they have been preserved in your beautiful photos. Thank you so much for sharing. I always enjoy your posts, even if I don't always comment. :-)

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  5. So pretty and colorful! Those dark skies sure made a fab backdrop for all that color.

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  6. How gorgeous! I'd love to see a field like this in person.

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  7. Reminds me of our visit to the Skagit valley two years ago. Excellent pictures!

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  8. Beautiful! Except for the hills that reminds me of Holland (where I spent 10 years).

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  9. Hi! Very beautiful. This farm looks like Keukenhof in Holland. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. What a shame about the sunrise! Sensational blooms still captured.

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  11. Beautiful! I am envious of this place and the Tulip Farm up in Washington...both are so beautiful! Fun Day!

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  12. Wow, awesome place! You did a nice mix of views and close-ups.

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  13. This rivals Holland! The pink tractor is special. All very frameable photos!

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  14. Such a burst of colour. I think the grey skies enhance the look

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  15. I usually go to the Skagit Valley for my tulip fix, but your tulip fields are much more photogenic. Love the pink tractor, and the dark and threatening skies (and the rain drops on the flowers) made for a beautiful set of photographs.

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