Desert Cholla Cactus Photo

24 x 16

$180

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When backlit by the sun, the Cholla Cactus glows as if emitting its own light. It is a real delight to observe and photograph but a horror to touch. With just minor exaggeration, the park rangers at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona claim that just walking within a few feet of a Cholla is enough to cause them to toss their barbed spears at you.

Because of the extreme difference in the light value between the dark foreground and the bright background, I made multiple exposures and combined them before printing in order to preserve the best exposure of the entire scene in the final version. This technique is referred to in photography as "HDR" or High Dynamic Range.

Cholla is a subgroup of the Opuntia genus characterized by cylindrical joints. These plants are also known as Jumping Cactus or Jumping Cholla, because of the disconcerting habit of coming unjointed easily. Simply touching a spine is enough to detach a joint, becoming imbedded in the skin. To make matters worse, the spines are barbed and therefore difficult to remove.

As "mean" as the Cholla is, it is surely photogenic.

Purchase this limited edition, signed print 24 x 16 on canvas, gallery wrapped and ready to hang for only $180.00.