In the California coastal mountains we chase spring up the slopes and into canyons, finding patches of fresh wildflowers at ever higher elevations until the inevitable heat and arid climate have their turn. At just over 4,000 feet, Figueroa Mountain is the tallest peak in the area, and on this particular day that made it also the windiest place in Santa Barbara County. We rose pre-dawn to reach the fire lookout before the sunlight could warm the lupines and poppies we expected to find. And we found them, in west-facing slopes near the summit. It was a beautiful if cold tableau of dozens of bush lupines beneath a pine canopy, slightly protected from windgusts, and illuminated by light filtered through the trees. On another day we might have directed our energy towards freezing the individual flower stalks, capturing sharp images of the dew shining from individual petals. But it was not to be. The wind never paused to breathe, so I decided to try to capture what it feels like to be beautiful and tossed about, to be occasionally distinct and firmly anchored but constantly buffeted by forces beyond your control. We shot until 9am, had some tea, and then drove elsewhere on the mountain, but this is the spot where I felt sympathy for the plants. Nikon D600 with 16-35mm lens at 35mm. ISO 50, 1/2 sec, f-22. Really Right Stuff ballhead on Gitzo 2541 legs.