The Tulip Fields of Skagit Valley

Text and Photography Copyright Tom Guffey - All rights reserved.

About 75 miles north of Seattle, and about the same distance south of Vancouver British Columbia, there is a wonderful area called the "Skagit Valley" that has photographic opportunities the year round. In the spring, during the month of April, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival takes place. There are hundreds and hundreds of acres of tulips, daffodils and iris that bloom throughout the month of April. I usually spend from 3 to 5 days shooting in the fields. The tulips last for about three weeks, so if the weather doesn't cooperate on one day, is usually does on the next. The weekdays are better to shoot, as the crowds are smaller and access to the fields is much easier. Also, early morning and late afternoons are wonderful, giving you the warm light on the fields. The surrounding area also has an abundance of wildlife, including bald eagles, trumpeter swans, snow geese, owls, and foxes.

If you're in Washington State in early April, make time to see the fields as they are one of the largest tulip plantings in the world, outside of Holland. The people are warm and friendly, and a few days can be easily spent taking in all the wonderful fields, local wildlife, and all the activities of the area.

All these shots were done in digital capture with the Canon EOS1D, EOS1DS and 10D. An assortment Canon lenses were used, including the 16-35/2.8, 24-70/2.8, 70-200mm/2.8 IS and the 400mm/4.0 IS DO. Extension tubes and extenders will also come in handy.

Some History of the Area

The Valley's mild climate, moderate rainfall, and fertile farmlands have provided an excellent environment for daffodils, tulips and iris growing. Currently all the major plantings are to the west of Interstate 5, going toward the little town of LaConner, Washington.

Bulb growing in the Valley had its start the early 1900s. A local gardener planted bulbs from Holland and was successful enough to soon establish a small mail-order business and sold her bulbs to garden clubs on the east coast and New England area.

In the mid 1920s there was an embargo placed on bulb imports by the United States government, so many growers in Holland began to send family members and friends to the U.S. to establish farms and possible growing locations. Many of the Dutch growers had heard of the success in Washington State and came to the Pacific Northwest, settling mostly in Lynden, Washington. After discovering that Lynden winters were not suited for bulb growing, they began checking into the success they had heard about in Skagit Valley, about 30 miles south of Lynden.

After World War II, the embargo of the 20s was lifted. This meant increased competition for the U.S. growers, not only from traditional bulb growing centers such as Holland and England, but also growers from Asia and the Orient.

The tulip "bloom" is a major tourist attraction in the Skagit Valley. The tulip industry is concerned primarily with "just the bulbs." They are machine-graded and the larger bulbs are sold to the retail and wholesale markets worldwide. The bulbs that are planted usually come from the farm's prior year's harvest. Planting is normally done in the fall - September through late October. After the bulbs are planted, they are fertilized and treated for disease. Drainage must also be maintained. Petals that fall to the ground are a potential disease hazard to the bulbs. For this reason the blooms are sheared off by a mechanical topper just before they pass their peak.

The flowers are picked beginning in late March and early April - again dependent on Mother Nature's schedule. The exact time of the harvest varies due to the amount of sunny and rainy days. Bulbs remain in the ground until the summer when digging and cleaning begins.

Field labor is used for cutting the flowers while the heavier work of digging, sorting and cleaning is mechanized. The amount of labor used by each grower depends on the farm size and ranges from 50 to 400 workers. The workers are usually local farm workers, high school students and a few local college students.

A few items for the shoot; take along boots, as the field conditions vary from dry to spongy to mud - lots of mud! Also, a tripod, cable release and twice the film you think you'll need should be taken along. A few plastic bags will come on handy to keep things clean, if indeed the fields are wet. There is a very limited amount of film and batteries available locally and if you find what you want, you will pay dearly for it.

Your gear should fit into a backpack as the fields are large and you'll want to have everything that you need with you. You'll want to a wide range of focal lengths with you so you can adjust angles, perspectives and zoom in when you really need it. I would carry the following selection of zoom lenses; 16-35mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm. A set of extension tubes and a 1.4 or 2.0 extender could also come in handy.

Early morning and late afternoon shoots will give you the best results. This leaves the afternoon for exploring in the wonderful little city of LaConner, taking an afternoon nap in the car, or having a great lunch at the Brew Pub in town. Booking one of the wonderful small hotels or B&Bs in the area during the festival is a wise decision, especially if you plan on shooting in the fields for a number of days. The experience is wonderful for anyone who enjoys photography, good friends, fine meals, good drink and a room with a view!!

About the Author

Tom is a west coast published photographer whose work includes cards, calendars, and large format landscapes. His work can be seen at the Artist's Gallery of Seattle and in a number of major hospitals and medical centers across the Pacific Northwest. Tom is a member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), International Association of Panoramic Photographers (IAPP), North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA) and the Royal Photographic Society, Great Britain (RPS).

Tom Guffey is a TPN Staff Member . More of Tom's work can be found on his website , and his online portfolio can be viewed at photoportfolios.net .

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