From mid April through to the later parts of May an unbelievable display of the yellow Balsamroot flower adorns the hills along the Okanagan Valley. In fact, Balsamroot can be seen on plains and in valleys from British Columbia and Alberta south to California up to an elevation of about 2700 metres. It is a relative to the sun flower, grows in clumps and can reach up to about 75 centimetres in height.
Balsamroot grows well with other plants but may take up to 10 years to establish itself. It is drought resistant, can deal with semi shaded areas and is tolerant of grazing activity. Wild fires seem to damage only the plants’ foliage which allows regeneration after the fire has passed.
It seems to me that this year’s bloom is more widespread, brighter and longer lasting. Perhaps the wet, cool spring has contributed to this colourful display.
There are many excellent locations in the Okanagan Valley where the Balsamroot can easily be photographed. But my favourite is Kalamoir Regional Park in the Lakeview Heights area of West Kelowna. Its display of Balsamroot is beyond spectacular.
At about 27 hectares in size Kalamoir Regional Park rises up the hillside from the shores of Okanagan Lake to the orchard land and housing developments above. Hikers enjoy the network of trails that crisscross the park.
The best time to photograph the Balsamroot in the east facing Kalimoir Park is in the morning. The earlier the better not only to avoid busy activity of hikers on the trails but also to take advantage of the low angle of the morning sun.
More so than any other location that I know of, Balsamroot blankets a large part of Kalimoir Park. The trail system allowed me to get close and at times at eye level with the flowers to allow the creation of close up images. I’ve used wide angle and telephoto zoom lenses as well as standard fixed focus lenses. I’m pleased with the results from each one of the lenses I used.
Most important though to the success of many of my images has been the use of either a tripod or monopod. Trying to stay balanced and make images without support is difficult on the park’s steep slopes. On my recent trips to Kalimoir I’ve used my monopod. It allowed me to move easily on the trails and yet have my camera supported.
My camera, a Nikon d750, has a back screen that flips out. This allows me to set the camera very low to the ground while still being able to comfortably view my composition on the screen.
The Balsamroot bloom is now past its prime in the Kelowna area. It is an annual highlight that I enjoy and love to photograph. In a few weeks the evidence of its beauty will be gone. But it will return next year. In the meantime, I have my photographs to enjoy.
