Badlands Cactus

Badlands Cactus

BADL09D-64

July 4, 2009

It is fitting that there should be prickly pear growing in the Badlands of South Dakota, that place has such a barren feel to it at times it would be forgiven if you thought you were transported hundreds of miles south to the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, or southern Utah.  But this spiny inhabitant makes its home in the intricate erosion landscape of the Badlands, and on that gray July 4th day, hiking out in the wilderness it seemed a fitting portrait of the day.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  32 mm

Exposure: 1/160 @ f/16  ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Sprialing Succulent

Sprialing Succulent

PLAN07D-29

April 7, 2007

Ah, the cactus.  Champion of the prickly touch and the CAM photosynthetic pathways, a terrific evolutionary organism.  And, in certain lights, they are quite pretty as well.  This particular cactus was captured on a morning after a rain and a heavy dew, with the droplets sprinkled over the lobed leaves.  He's quite pretty, and I wanted to bring the spiral of spines and water back out into the light.
** 1st place, Champaign County Camera Club, Spring 2009, "Flora"

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/100 sec @ f/8, ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor curves adjustment in PS4