IMG_0993 When I said NorCal was beating out SoCal in the current wildflower show, I wasn’t kidding. Calipidder headed to Sierra Azul and managed to snag a few dozen more beautiful blooms while she was on a 12 mile hike. Visit her gallery for some great eye-candy, and stay tuned for my upcoming updates from Pinnacles for more.

Locally, flowers are still popping up in Topanga Canyon State Park, Big Tujunga Canyon in the Angeles National Forest, and Placerita Canyon in Santa Clarita.

The weather reports are predicting a chance of rain and clouds today … which just means that the rest of the week is going to be OUTSTANDING for nature photographers of all stripes. So if you head out over the next few days, be sure to take your cameras … and while you’re waiting for the rain to clear or your work week to end, check out the PhotoNaturalist’s recommendations for 5 free programs every outdoor photographer should have, which includes the free, powerful photoshop alternative GIMP.

Then, if you like your photoshop alternatives to still have the look and feel of the Adobe powerhouse, be sure to check out my friend Scott’s ongoing GIMP hack, Gimpshop. The graphics junkies love it!

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by Casey Schreiner

Founder and Editor of Modern Hiker, Author of "Day Hiking Los Angeles." "Discovering Griffith Park," and "Cloud Spotting." Walking Meditator, Native Plant Enthusiast.