While at the PSA Festival I spent a few evenings in the vast saguaro/other cacti fields east and west of Tucson. This image was taken between the city and west branch of the national park. I launched from a pullout area, flew around for a while, and picked this steep mountain as a subject.
I felt a BnW conversion showed the large number of saguaros better than a color image. Just a blank,boring blue sky so I darkened it, and then selectively dodged and burned to hopefully replicate what an approaching thunderstorm might look like. This image could have used a stronger focal point but sometimes we get what we get, and I needed to return to the festival to catch the 7:15 speaker!
I am about 300 feet up and had great flying conditions -- almost no wind. No special processing, other than the sky as I mentioned above. Denoised, set levels, converted to bnw and sharpened.
5 comments posted
Drema Swader
Although the black and white is better than the color original, and the saguaro do stand out better, it doesn't seem like a particularly compelling image. I have found the saguaro forests very difficult to photograph. I have tons of pictures of them, and I don't think I have any that I particularly like!
I like the ridgeline at the top of the image, but the cacti themselves don't make the best subject. Perhaps if you flew down close to one to make it large in the image, it would make a better picture. Not your best work, I'd say. Posted: 11/05/2024 20:43:12
Pete Scifres
Well, I showed it at my photoclub's image review last night and the judge was only lukewarm. I think I'll move on from this one. Thanks for the input! Posted: 11/05/2024 20:57:18
Richard Stauber
There's a lot of cacti out there! Perhaps moving in closer and somehow take a shot just over tops looking up the hill? Posted: 11/08/2024 21:30:07
Lou McLove
Hi Pete, I think that this is a difficult subject to make look interesting. There's so much and it's difficult to tell exactly what you are looking at. I think the others have a good idea regarding moving in and focusing on a smaller area. Those darn club judges can be tough :) Posted: 11/10/2024 15:44:57
Alex Andrews
I like the view. B/W looks better to me. Maybe Pano crop? Good job. Posted: 11/15/2024 21:44:52
