Barrel Cactus Buds
Oct, 2019Views
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Top Shot Award 21
2020 Choice Award
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Behind The Lens
Location
I had the opportunity to travel to one of the most iconic deserts in the southwest, the Sonoran Desert in Arizona a couple of years ago. Just a few miles south of the ubiquitous Saguaro National Park was a campground my family and I decided to call our home for the night on our way across Arizona. This place is littered with towering Saguaros, colorful barrel cacti, fuzzy Chollas, and countless prickly pears. I took many a shot of all of these beautiful and arguably some of the oldest living plants in the region if not in North America. This specific Barrel Cactus got me with its contrasting colors of its yet to blossom buds. The reds and yellows, reminiscent of tiny flames flickering and weaving through the recurved barbs atop the knee height pillar just begged to be captured.Time
If the composition of the cactus itself wasn't enough, the fact that the sun was just about to dip beneath the horizon added just the required amount of warmth to the final picture.Lighting
Sunset added an incredibly warm atmosphere to the flame-like flower buds in this southwestern paradise.Equipment
Canon t5i with a Canon EFS 10-18mmInspiration
I'm a geologist by training and a desert rat b choice. Any chance I get to be arid environments I take it. It is by no means this barren, desolate, and featureless landscape people sometimes paint it to be. The more I'm in it the more I see for what a spectacular place it really is. It is the epitome of resiliency.Editing
A simple contrast tweak just to make the shadows darker and the color a tad bit more vivid.In my camera bag
Generally, my T5i with a 50mm prime, a 10-18mm, and their respective neutral density filters. Lately, a canon 70D joined in on the fun for its spectacular video capture capability.Feedback
Get out there and experience the desert yourself. Grab your camera, whatever camera it is, and start shooting some pictures. It is amazing how many amazing shots you'll be leaving with. If I must give a piece of tangible advice then I'd say early morning sun or the sunset is what I'd go for. This virtually eliminates the need for an ND filter which sometimes casts a weird color tint. The color contrast at these times is simply breathtaking.
