This past Tuesday was free entry day at the Desert Botanical Garden, and
since the cost of entry is usually a bit pricey I take advantage of these days.
This time of year is nowhere near as colourful as in the spring, but there are
still items well worth photographing.
Shortly after I entered I came across a small group of photographers who
seemed to be waiting patiently for something. In a mements time I saw what the
attraction was: A Road Runner that was making its way through the underbrush,
and it was coming right towards me, providing a nice advantage though he
wouldn't stay still for very long:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/22180321882/in/dateposted-public/
Just beyond that the early morning sunlight provided a nice display of
cactus needles, turning them a golden colour:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/22192982185/in/dateposted-public/
In the upper right corner of that photo you can see a Cereus cactus
flower, and there were about a half dozen in full splendour:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/21570241754/in/dateposted-public/
Walking around the main path brings you to a replica of a low desert
grassland, which used to be found everywhere until the settlers arrived in the
19th century and overgrazed everything. The perennial grasses had flower and
gone to seed over the monsoon season, and there were some nice Arizona
Cottontop seedheads to be seen:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/22005241848/in/dateposted-public/
There is an interesting area that is manicured as a vegetable and herb
garden, and amongst the plants flowering there was an Okra:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/22192975755/in/dateposted-public/
and a Jamaica (Hibiscus sabdariffa):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/22005231548/in/dateposted-public/
And finally along the way to the entrance I spotted a variety of Barrel
Cactus that was in bloom:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/22004946200/in/dateposted-public/
These were all taken with an E-500 with my new/used Vivitar TX 35-105/3.5
lens, which proved to be quite versatile. The close focusing of this lens
produces the same image size at all focal lengths, which is an interesting
feature.
Chris
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro
- Hunter S. Thompson
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