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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Eighteen: Light and Landscape – combining personal vision with nature’s gifts > Cactus in backlight, Gold Canyon, Arizona, 2013
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26-MAR-2013

Cactus in backlight, Gold Canyon, Arizona, 2013

The translucent needles of Saguaro and Cholla cactus plants seem to come to life when the sun sets. I made this image by shooting directly at a setting sun, yet by lowering my frame, I could crop the sun out of the picture and use its backlight to outline each of the plants with what photographers call “rim lighting.” Two large Saguaro cactus plants dominate the foreground, while additional Saguaros lead off into the distance. The middle layer of this image is carpeted in glowing Cholla Cactus, while a cluster of desert trees fills the background layer.

Panasonic LUMIX G5
1/320s f/5.0 at 75.0mm iso160 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis30-Mar-2013 21:08
Thanks, Don, for appreciating the illumination and composition of this image. If it can help viewers of this cyberbook in expressive photography appreciate the value of backlight and rim light, it will have done its job well.
Don30-Mar-2013 10:13
This is a wonderful landscape image, beautifully lit and composed.
Phil Douglis29-Mar-2013 19:00
I like the way both of you find this scene reminiscent of a vast cityscape at night, replete with skyscraping Saguaros and glittering points of illumination. I enjoyed your pun, as always, Rose. As for the age of these Saguaros, I am not a botanist so am no authority on the subject. However, the US National Park Service says in its brochure on the Saguaro that this plant is considered an "adult" when it reaches 125 years of age. the average life span is 150-175 years. Since they can grow as large as 50 feet high, the Saguaros in this image are probably half that size. As such, I would estimate the age of these particular Saguaros is upwards of about 75 years. In other words, as least as old as I am! Read more athttp://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/the%20saguaro%20cactus.pdf
Carol E Sandgren29-Mar-2013 03:34
What a beautiful "city" of cacti! The backlighting is effective showing how densely populated they are. The points of light remind me of a desert "city" scene. I wonder how old those large Saguaro are. Any guesses?
sunlightpix29-Mar-2013 01:16
A thousand points of light on a thousand cactus points! v
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