chico – Matt Tilghman Photography

Behind The Mask – North Table Mountain

Matt Tilg — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 02:23:09 +0000

A beautiful creek meanders through late poppies and volcanic basalt, right before plunging off the cliff and becoming Phantom Falls.

My title for this photograph is perhaps a bit too abstract, even for me. “Behind The Mask” pays homage to the name of the waterfall in this picture, Phantom Falls. Get it? Like how the phantom wears a mask? Maybe not. Anyway, if you don’t see the waterfall in this photo, that’s because this vantage is above the falls. Right in the center of the image, where the creek ends, the water plunges over a massive basalt cliff, becoming Phantom Falls. I love how this vantage feels nearly polar opposite compared to when you are looking at the waterfall and cliff. It feels almost like a “behind the scenes” look at the drama of Phantom Falls. While the waterfall is one of the most dramatic I’ve ever seen, from here it is total peace and tranquility — a much more accurate representation of the true feel of North Table Mountain Ecological Preserve.

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Disappearing Act – Phantom Falls

Matt Tilg — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 02:02:31 +0000

The seasonal Phantom Falls plunges over ancient volcanic basalt cliffs, in North Table Mountain Ecological Preserve, near Oroville, California.

The name of this photograph comes from the nature of this waterfall. Phantom Falls (in North Table Mountain Ecological Preserve, in the Chico/Oroville area, California) is so named because sometimes you see it, and sometimes you don’t. It only appears after prolonged rain, towards the end of the wet season. And it can dry up rather quickly, too, with the hot sun as well as very absorbent volcanic ground. This photo was taken in mid to late spring, with probably only a few weeks of water flow left. But the grass was green and lush, and still hid a few poppy blossoms. The place truly came to life at sunset, when the shadows cast by the dramatic rock formations began to play games with the landscape.

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Phantom Falls From Above

Matt Tilg — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 00:14:25 +0000

The beautiful seasonal Phantom Falls plunges over basalt cliffs, a shimmering ribbon of water.

I’ve said it in other captions, but I’ll say it again here. North Table Mountain is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. Located just outside of Chico, California, the preserve protects ancient volcanic basalt rock formations. Phantom Falls, pictured here, is perhaps the main attraction. It’s a seasonal waterfall that only appears in the rainy season. I took this photo at the very end of April, which is pretty dry. The waterfall had withered to a mere ribbon of water. In fact, it barely reached the bottom at all, misting into the air as it fell. This photo looks like it could have been taken from a drone, but it was actually just taken from a higher neighboring cliff.

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Late Poppies on North Table Mountain

Matt Tilg — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 17:19:58 +0000

I missed the main bloom in beautiful volcanic landscape of North Table Mountain, near Chico, California. But luckily there were a few lingering poppies to spice up the scene.

I took this photograph on a 2013 trip to North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve, near Oroville, California. The trip the year before was so perfect that some friends and I decided to try to make it an annual trek. However, this year was far drier. As a result, the many stunning waterfalls, including Phantom Falls (the park’s primary attraction) had almost completely dried up. But the trip wasn’t a total loss – the wildflowers were a bit better this year. A dry year usually means an early bloom, so I was surprised to see more flowers than the previous year. But so many other factors influence the bloom, predicting based on only one variable is futile. It was primarily the California Poppies which stood out as the “best in show” flowers, and I was looking for a nice composition the whole time. Near the very end of the trip, when the sunlight was fading and turning gold, I found this bunch of poppies, which looked as if they had been purposefully planted among the basalt rubble. They seemed so perfectly manicured that I couldn’t help but feature them.

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