Botanical Abstracts

Between sorting and packing and other distractions, I managed to not get any painting done this weekend, and rather than let another day pass without a blog post, I realized that I still have plenty of subject material to share.

This collection of images were taken in a variety of locations and dates, and represent a diversity of adjectives:  edible, sharp, soft, weed, cultured, wild, commonplace.  Small, large, spherical, linear.  Colorful or patterned.  As with all the images I take of such things, my goal was to focus on the unique features and try to present the ordinary in a new light.

Some are in black/white, some in color.   They are shown in order of oldest to newest, with location and date.

Corn tassels

 Backyard garden -  CT.  Aug 13, 2009.

Agave leaves

 Crest trail, Huachuca Mtns. - southern AZ.  March 18, 2010.

Seedpods - unidentified 

Honeybee Canyon trail - Oro Valley, AZ.  April 11, 2010.

Red Yucca stalk

Private residence - Tucson, AZ.  April 16, 2010.

Yucca spire in bloom

Biosphere 2 property, Catalina, AZ.  April 17, 2010

Bougainvillea 

Private residence, Tucson, AZ.  April 20, 2010.

Dandelion 

Backyard - CT.  April 30, 2010.

Parsley patch

Personal residence - CT.  June 4, 2010.

Floral portraits

I could easily do a dozen posts just on flowers I've taken photos of over the past month.   Things are just starting to ramp up here as far as spring flower season goes, and once the iris start blooming, I'll be in heaven, as they are my favorite of the bulbed flowers (technically, they are rhizomes and not true bulbs).

I will probably add another desert wildflower post before too long.   In the meantime, here are a few photos, done with the help of a tripod and backdrop, of native and exotic blooms, while I was back in Tucson.  Last week, I took similar photos of my beloved Christmas cactus, which, much to my delight, was still busy producing its gorgeous flowers when I returned home.  Those I haven't pulled off the camera yet.

Enjoy some of these beautiful spring offerings by Mother Nature!

Red Yucca - front view

Each blossom on this stalk only blooms once, and in the morning.  These attractive desert plants are commonly used in xeriscaping (desert landscaping with use of rocks and low-water plants).

Red Yucca - profile

A solo blossom catches the morning sun on this graceful stalk

Pink Duality

The bright fuchsia-colored blossoms on this desert shrub (I believe it is a type of sage, but I can't find an identity for it) are positioned to allow it to be seen from front and side.

"Star of Holland" in profile

This Dutch hybrid Hippaestrum (aka amaryllis) is showing off its two blossoms, with two more on the way.

"Star of Holland" - face forward

The detail of this striking flower is seen in this frontal view

Sequential 

The buds on this Englemann prickly pear cactus, found within SNP, are showing their various stages of the blooming process.

Celebrating the Saguaro: a photo essay

Having spent 14 years in Tucson from childhood through college, returning is like seeing a familiar old friend.  One of my favorite members of the desert is the saguaro cactus.  It probably symbolizes the AZ, the southwest and the desert moreso than any other single image, particularly for those who have never traveled to this part of the country.

While many people may believe the saguaro is an omnipresent desert inhabitant, its actual distribution is quite limited.  It is found only within the Sonoran desert climate zone - a region confined to the southern part of AZ, southeastern CA and northern Mexico including the states of Baja and Sonora.  It is bordered by the Mojave and Chihuahuan deserts to the west, north and east, respectively.  Even within the Sonoran desert, its preferred locations are the slopes of rocky hillsides or at the bases of desert mountains. 

One such location is Saguaro National Park.  When I was living in Tucson 20+ years ago, it was a national monument, and it is pleasing to see that it was upgraded to national park status in 1994.  There are two park districts - west (Tucson Mtn. district) and east (Rincon Mtn. district).  My mother recently moved back to AZ, and the road to her house goes through Saguaro National Park West.  It was on my return drive home almost 2 weeks ago, shortly after I left her house, that I took these photos. 

The absence of a tripod, and the usual issue of lighting limited the number of "photo-worthy" images I took, but this handful captures some of the personality of this distinctive and charming member of the cactus (cactaceae) family:

Hillside Celebration

The uplifted arms give these saguaros a whimsical and joyful appearance.  Saguaros don't begin to grow arms until they are almost 100 years old.

Cast Shadows

The curved shadows from this small desert plant across the ribs of this saguaro cactus skeleton produce an interesting contrast.

Abstracted Saguaro

This photo focuses on the strong lines and lines, and simple shapes of this saguaro trunk and its two curved arms.

Young 'Un

This juvenile saguaro, probably 25-30 years old, has been sheltered by an adjacent mesquite tree.

The Cycle of Life

A baby saguaro, probably about 5-8 years in age, grows next to the weathered remains of an old saguaro and its root base in this still life image.  The average life span for a saguaro is 150 years.

For more information about Saguaro National Park, click here.

A View from The Jonquil - a photo essay

I have been far too lax getting on and posting to my blog.  Work is keeping me busy and I've just been getting used to everything here.  Yesterday, during my afternoon break, I decided to go out and take photos from around the place I share with my sister - the Jonquil Motel.  It is up the road from the main downtown section of Bisbee, along Tombstone Canyon Rd.  All photos were taken on the property from various perspectives. 

Agave Base of Operations

This agave plant, a type of succulant, is located at the top of a block wall in the courtyard area behind the motel.

Nature Loves Euclid - the Proof is in the Plant

Remember your geometry?  This spent yucca stalk has got it all:  parallel and converging lines, points defining space, and lots of triangles:  isocoles, equilateral and scalene.  Alternatively, it could resemble an Anasazi petroglyph figure.  It reaches skyward on the slope behind the motel.

Cactus Fruit Chorus Line

The fruit of this very large prickly pear cactus continue to ripen through the winter.  Cactus is located in the courtyard along the edge of a wall that forms a canal for the creek that runs through town.

House on the Hillside

I have a fascination with old, abandoned man-made structures, and Bisbee is full of them.  This one resides on the hillside behind the motel.  View is northwest.

A Passel of Pods

This cluster of dried silk-tree seedpods is found on a tree in the courtyard of the model.  The brisk afternoon breeze caused them to sound like a baby's rattle.

Afternoon Sky

These lacy high-altitude cirrus clouds dance in the sky, while the hillside provides some year-around green in the form of scrub oak...a most refreshing change from the "all or nothing" green  in CT.  View is looking northeast from the motel courtyard.

Photomontage - Cacti abstracts

This 4-part montage of cactus abstracts was done from photos taken during a recent trip back to CO and AZ.  The originals were shot at f/8, hand-held, ISO 200, with focal lengths 38-55mm, Nikkor AF 18-55mm DX lens on my D40.  Once I'm able to upgrade to a new computer (a Mac this time - I'm so done with PC's and the MS OS issues) and can get the latest Elements, I'll shoot everything in RAW.  It is a tedious, time-consuming PITA to do that on my aging PC and old version of PS Elements (4.0), so I just shoot in JPEG fine.  PP included square cropping, conversion to b/w and minor adjustments in levels, and application of a simple outer border.  The full-size image, including border, is 15x15 in @ 300dpi.  I spent a bit of time arrangingeach photo crop to arrive at the most pleasing composition and to emphasize the "theme" of each subject.