Photographing Cacti is a Prickly Affair

The other morning I was out taking photos of some back yard flowers. We have no grass, but our plants blossom for 12 months, which is amazing. No, not all of them, just some. The important thing is, that we are never without some kind of color in the back yard. After 37 years of winter we are really enjoying it.


The most challenging photos was the prickly-pear cactus. I had to step over another plant to get the photo. That was still okay, but then the shot I really wanted was at the back of the cactus, so it was a stretch. I knew I would get close to one of the fruit blossoms, but that was no big deal. It was a great photo, which means I like it.

Nice looking flowers. JoAnn had a great time watering them this spring to encourage the blossoms.

I got back inside and was sitting down at my desk to do a little work and put my right elbow on the arm rest. There was a sharp prickly sensation. I looked and what I saw were a bunch (that's a technical term) of small light colored spines. It almost looked as if I hadn't shaved my elbow. You know, after you haven't shaved for a day or two.

Those little spines on the fruit, just before the flowers really jump out at you.

I went and got JoAnn and asked her to pull them out. Her, "I don't see anything" did not inspire me. Once we got more light it only took her about 15 minutes to get the spines out. It is the 2nd time this year I have picked up spines working in the back yard. I guess I still have to learn a little more about those desert plants. So, as I said at the beginning, "Photographing cacti is a prickly affair." Who knows, maybe someday I will learn.