skagit valley

A Sky Set in Motion

10,000 snow geese erupted into flight, their honking a wild symphony echoing across the Skagit Valley. The air pulsed with movement, the scent of damp earth and feathers grounding the spectacle. It was chaotic, yes—but utterly mesmerizing.

These Arctic travelers spend their summers nesting in Siberia before journeying thousands of miles to overwinter in the fertile fields of coastal Washington and British Columbia. Some continue south to California, while others linger here—unwelcome guests to farmers, but pure magic to photographers.

I hadn’t expected such a massive flock this early in the season. But witnessing their synchronized dance—rising, settling, rising again—was a gift I’ll never forget.

Bonus: Trumpeter swans competing for attention from the snow geese gathering in the valley.

Skagit County
WA USA

Awaiting Tulips

The warmer temperatures and long sunny days of the upcoming spring in the Pacific Northwest have re-awakened memories of exploring the colorful blossoms that dot the fertile Skagit Valley. I long to see the uniform rows of colorful tulips layered against the foothills of the North Cascades. Especially in the early morning hours when the low angle of light adds a beautiful rimlight to the kaleidoscopic blossoms. And if I am lucky, I would be greeted by a soft fog that descended to ground level the prior night, and adds an ethereal dimension to the scene. Here is to hoping that this happens once again.

Skagit Valley
WA USA

Skagit blossoms

April has always been symbolic of tulips for me. From my very first visit to the tulip fields of Skagit Valley more than a decade ago, I have been fascinated by the vast carpets of vibrant reds and crimsons, bright whites and yellows, soothing rose, and vivid blues and purples. Being blessed to live less than an hour away, I try to seize every opportunity to explore the ever-changing spring patterns out here.

Earlier this year, I was lucky to capture the beginnings of a storm-front rising above the tulip fields during the late afternoon hours. I found these bright red tulips a perfect contrast to the grey and yellow clouds.

As before, you can buy this calendar at this link.


Skagit Valley
WA USA

The Arrival of Spring

In the PNW, there are many signs of the seasonal changes in the spring. However, my favorite amongst those is the bloom of the tulips in the many farms that dot the Skagit Valley of Washington. Acres of carefully maintained gardens featuring a bounty of different kind of flowers provide plenty of splendid opportunities for photography. Here is one such farm at sunrise featuring a silhouette of Mt Baker.

Skagit Valley
WA USA

Spring in the step

Even though the tulip blooms only last a couple of weeks, they put on a kaleidoscopic show of color that draws in tourists in record numbers. Perhaps it is their fleeting nature that makes them so special - they certainly would lose their charm if their blooms last the entire year.

Which one do you like the most?

Skagit Valley
WA USA

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Tulip Star

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It pays occasionally to dip below the line of flowers to capture a photo of the one

I was looking to capture unique compositions of the tulip fields when I noticed that the sun was very low on the horizon. I realized that I could use the dense rows of tulips to block the sun, and capture a sunstar when the tulips swayed with the wind. After a few trials, this was the final composition

Skagit Valley
WA USA

Odd one out

One of my classic takes with the spring tulip blossoms of the Pacific Northwest is photographing the odd ones out. I seek out the oddball misfits and the mis-colored ones amongst the uniform rows of neatly planted tulips. I presumed that these bulbs were planted either intentionally or they just crept it. Regardless, they form a great subject to add contrast when shooting tulips

Skagit Valley
WA USA

Spring in the Skagit Valley

Spring in the Skagit Valley - 2.jpg

Perhaps the best sign of the warming temperatures of spring is the bounteous availability of a kaleidoscope of flowers: roses, tulips, daffodils, balsamroot, orchids and much more. And in the well drained soils of the Skagit region of Washington, colorful fields of tulips and daffodils grow profusely, attracting tourists and florists from all over the world. While not in the scale of the tulip fields of Holland, the flat fields and fake windmills give the impression of a dutch countryside, except for the towering mountains of the Cascades just to the west.

Wandering around the fields one evening, I found one particularly bright patch of daffodils in peak bloom. I tried to frame the dense patch of flowers against the tall cypress trees.

Skagit Valley
WA USA

Spring in the Skagit Valley

Every year, the blooming of the daffodils heralds the arrival of spring in Washington. Tiny bursts of yellow color dot the streets and villages of the Pacific Northwest, its characteristic trumpet and bell shape swaying in unison in the wind.

Out in the pastoral landscape of Skagit valley, vast fields of yellow daffodils carpet the landscape in early spring, ready to be picked and shipped to the neighborhood florist. Photos don't do justice to the scale of the farms that cover the area here.

I spotted this one out in the distance as I set out for a breath of fresh air and sunshine. The skeletons of the tall aspen, yet to regrow foliage for the year, towered over the carpet of yellow on this late evening.

Skagit Valley
WA USA