As the snow melts in the high mountains, leaving patches of bare ground, wildflowers spring up quickly when the soil is warmed by the summer sun. They seem somehow valiant, braving the chance of snow and hail to open their petals as a greeting to pollinators. Usually flowers are photographed face-on, but for this composition I chose a ground level view because I liked the look of the pure white petals against the blue shaded slopes of Mount Rainier.

Location: Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, USA