Lightcatchers

Cholla Cactus are famous for their glow, and Teddy Bear Cholla (these

guys) glow more than any, especially when backlit by sunset. To show

them off I compressed the scene with a 200mm lens and blended five

images together for maximum DOF.

 

With quality enlargements in mind, the blending is not easy. It took

about 3 hours to complete and I then made other blends for exposure

and flare control. All of this has to be visualized and executed in

the field first, which is another challenge given the fleeting nature

of good light.

 

Dust was kicking up in the valleys distant, adding to the atmosphere.

 

Tech stuff was 1Ds III, 70-200 at 200mm, no filters, 1/8 and 1/80

second exposures all at f/13, ISO 100. Minimal processing except the

blending for various technical reasons.

Amazing light and subject. I really Enjoy your work. I have been to your personal site and will be ordering some prints in the near future. I one day strive to be able to have a collection as fine as yours! One of my new favorites!

I can't find anything wrong with this photo. Excellent technique and blending.

Beautiful!

These Teddy Bear Cholla lightcatchers look magnificent and the way you represented it is really unique, aesthetically as well as technically. Blending five pictures together, I'd never guess that. I admire your work and your talent for being able to represent the nature at its magical moments.

Thanks for sharing it,

Kristina

Excellent work, thanks for sharing and info!

wonderful backlight. 7

Great technique. and a really nice atmosphere created.  Nice visualization and execution.

Absolutely great, Awesome lights here and pretty fore- and background!!!  Best regards, David!

STUNNING!

An outstanding image Marc! The lighting throughout this image is sensational to say the least. All your hard work payed off handsomely with this shot. Your blending work is superb - something I know is not easily pulled off. This image is not only technically flawless, but also possesses great emotional impact. This is the stuff of great photographers.

All the best,
Neil

Spectacular shot... This kinda shots are worth the wait time.. My honest 7..!!!

beautiful!!

Outstanding.  Thanks once again for detailing your technique.

This is great!  Thanks for providing the details.  Your pre-visualization in the field and post-processing is wonderful.

I love seeing the intense glow of the cactus plants in the foreground in combination with the softer more diffuse glow of evening sunlight shining thru the dust/ mist in the background....I would love to order a print! :)

Lisa

Omg, this is ethereal! 7

Masterful and flawless. Thanks for sharing your expertise. What software did you use for blending multiple focus levels to expand dof?

Marc,

  I cannot help but wonder, if you had said you waited patiently with camera in hand for three hours and got this in the fleeting second before the light changed, if people would have been even more impressed.  

This is clearly the direction that photography heads toward, some new art, created more than 50% after the camera.  I do not begrudge it but am amazed at the rapid change taking place.  And this seems to be a perfectly executed example. Congratulations!

Beware of making an image too perfect - many folk cultures believe in weaving a purposeful mistake into a work, so as not to make the gods jealous.

Jerry

Definitely worth the effort.  The glow is awesome. 

wonderful and artistic, congratulations

Very nice Marc, great job working withis light, beautiful composition.

Seven all the way Marc!

Warm regards!

PDE

Jerry, very true.  I address a lot of this on my website too.  For the more 'purist' crowd of photographers out there, it might be good to keep in mind do spend most of the year in the field to get only a handful of shots, so whether the end result is put together partially in Photoshop in order to overcome the technical limitations of the camera (as was the case here) the fact remains I have to work very hard in the field for each and every capture, just as us nature photographers always have.  It was three days spent here, all for the one fleeting moment you see here.

As good as it gets! GJ