Desert Landscape 03

Looks like Red Hill right behind the NPS visitor center in the west unit. I like the bloomin' ocotillo too. Compositionally, I'd like either the top or the bottom of the saguaros included; in this case, maybe the bottom. Nice shot. Cheers! Chris

BTW, Lou Ann, have you acquired a set of ND grad filters, adapter rings, and holder yet? I am finding that I am using a one- or two-stop soft-edged grad with a polarizing filter even during the day; particularly later in the afternoon. My point is, they are not just for sunrise/sunset shots; you'll find that they really help control dynamic range in many of your images. Sure, they're not for every situation; but I am finding more and more situations where they have really helped. Next to my carbon-fiber tripod and ballhead; they are my next most important element of my kit. Cheers! Chris

Chris - in fact, I did pick up an adapter and rings to fit my favorite wide lenses and a ND grad filter. And my intention was to "practice" using them and figure them out while in Arizona. I never even took them out of the box. It will have to be something that I go out and play with while shooting something that I've shot a million times before (like the DC skyline) to force myself to experiment.

These shots were actually not taken near the visitor center, but were taken along the "Desert Discovery Nature Trail" - which was a great place to shoot the sunset as well....

Oh, and by the way - my favorite plant was the ocotillo ... they were brilliant red everywhere I went. But they were difficult to compose around because the landscape swallows them up, visually. So my favorite shots were of the saguaro. I actually stopped a few times, though, to just look at the ocotillo.....

Very nice. Sharped and the cacti hhave it's own architecture. I do have a lot

recently from The Huntington's Desert Garden.

Thanks! Lou Ann.