Getting Up Close and Personal With Utah’s Wildflowers

Logan Canyon | Angie Payne

Macro photographer Angie Payne shares her tips for capturing the classic beauty of wildflowers in an untraditional way.

If the thought of “wildflower season” evokes visions of hillsides flooded with colorful botanical confetti, you are not alone. When I headed to Utah, camera in hand, to photograph this annual display of nature’s brilliance, I could already envision the photo that I wanted to capture — a gorgeous landscape featuring an alpine slope awash in hues of yellow, red, purple, and blue with stunning mountain peaks in the background, kissed by the magic light of the rising sun.

With some basic wildflower knowledge, a camera, and a willingness to hike, that quintessential capture of wildflower season can be yours. However, don’t fret if you arrive outside of “peak” season or if you don’t want to trek far into the mountains — that classic wildflower shot is simply the cover photo on a thick novel of opportunities for photographing wildflowers. Armed with a few photography pointers and an open mind, anyone can find joy and adventure in the beauty of wildflowers, whether you’re miles from the trailhead in the midst of a floral explosion or mere steps from the parking lot enjoying a solitary bloom.

The blooming of wildflowers in alpine environments follows the melting of the snowpack in an area, meaning that the season for enjoying blooms in Utah spans from early June into September. With some planning and weather-watching, you can chase the blooms from lower to higher elevations as the thawing progresses. This also means that even though one region might not be seeing wildflowers yet, another region nearby could very well be swimming in them. To narrow in on exactly which spots are in season, popular hiking apps like AllTrails can be immensely helpful — by viewing recent posts and photos, you can gain a wealth of knowledge about current wildflower conditions.

On the other hand, if you prefer the element of surprise, try rolling the dice by simply hiking down a trail and finding out for yourself.

After all, one of the beautiful things about these colorful wonders of nature is that they take orders from no one and will grow when and where the conditions are right, completely oblivious to the dreams and calculated plans of us camera-toting hopefuls.

This can be frustrating if your wildflower viewing plans are thwarted by unpredictable snow melt, or lack thereof. It can also be incredibly rewarding and a ton of fun to get out in nature and hunt for the fantastic surprises it has to offer.

It’s easy to get tunnel vision and focus on finding the crown jewel of photos that you have envisioned while planning your visit. While persistence can certainly pay off in photography, focusing too intently on a single theoretical photo might make you blind to the millions of other photo opportunities you are walking by in pursuit of your goal. If you feel that your creativity is being stifled by the frustration of your photography plans going astray, changing your lens and mixing up your shooting style can often help you break free of the tunnel vision.

If it’s that wide landscape shot of a sea of not-yet-existent-flowers that is eluding you, exploring the wildflowers through a macro lens could be a breath of fresh air into the photo outing. Ironically, sometimes literally narrowing your view through the camera can help you escape the metaphorical tunnel vision.

The only risk of zooming in on the wildflowers is that you might never want to zoom back out.

Using a wider aperture (lower f-stop number) when shooting photos of wildflowers can help showcase the subject by softening the background.

A true macro lens that can achieve 1:1 magnification is ideal for this type of photography, but similar results can also be had with less expensive alternatives such as reversing rings and extension tubes.

It won’t take long to find all of the insects that make frequent visits to the flowers and realize that they, too, are insanely beautiful gifts from the natural world.

Using a wider aperture (lower f-stop number) when shooting photos of wildflowers can help showcase the subject by softening the background.

A variation on this idea is to set small, delicate flowers against an imposing, harsh backdrop by using a longer focal length and a wider aperture to create an interesting photographic juxtaposition of the very large and the very small.

A single wildflower can be quite unassuming — often relatively small in size and easily overlooked in an expansive and imposing alpine landscape. But, by using a lens with a longer focal length and photographing a single flower with a formation as its backdrop, you can highlight the brilliance of this teeny tiny spectacular creation of nature.

Often the petals get all the recognition, but other parts of the wildflower are fascinating and beautiful as well. Changing your focal point while shooting with a macro lens can serve to highlight an often under-appreciated portion of the flower, like the pistil.

Similarly, the graceful curve of a stem or a leaf or a somewhat abstract capture of the infinite colors and shapes that wildflowers contain can be equally as captivating as the colors of the flower itself.

The magic hour — a short period of time around sunrise and sunset — is a common photography phrase for a reason. The light is most ideal for showcasing the subjects during these times of day, and wildflowers are no exception.

However, if you don’t want to rise before dawn or stay out until dusk, using the more harsh midday light to backlight your subject can also accomplish a unique and beautiful look.

The death and decay of blooms can also be beautiful in their very own way.

Finally, don’t be intimidated by the technical aspects of photography that will inevitably pop up while using a camera. You don’t have to know all of the terminology or have the nicest gear to have a blast exploring nature through the medium of photography.

The wildflowers will not judge you for your lack of experience nor will they commend you for your expertise — they will simply continue being spectacular works of nature’s art, so go out and enjoy them before they are gone.

About the Photographer – Angie Payne

Angie Payne discovered her love of photography while exploring nature and traveling the world as a professional climber. Countless days spent in the mountains of Colorado, and subsequent climbing expeditions to Greenland and French Polynesia, opened Angie’s eyes to the magnificence of nature and her desire to capture photos of it. Her early photographic pursuits involved an iPhone and inexpensive magnetic lenses. This simple setup was enough to ignite her iterest in pursuing photography more seriously, and in 2012 she purchased her first digital camera. Her current work is mainly concentrated in the world of macro photography, as she is especially obsessed with the tiny worlds that exist within bigger landscapes. Angie currently lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Wildflower Hot Spots

Viewing Responsibly

Do not pick wildflowers. Picking blooms and digging up roots are pushing some species to extinction (i.e. echinacea). To sustain them for future generations, apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure.

Tips for Responsible Travel

Wildflower Season

The optimal time to view Utah wildflowers depends on temperature and elevation. Wildflowers can bloom in Utah anytime between March and September. At higher-elevation meadows, peak season is June, July and August.

Utah Weather

Utah Wildflowers

Stop and smell the roses, so the saying goes. That may work in the English countryside, but here in the Beehive State, it’s Utah wildflowers that deserve notice.

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