Common Joshua Tree Scene

Almost every time I visit I stop by this Cholla Garden. Really have make myself skip it more often and see the rest of the park a little more.
Common for me that is. Just a little bit of a curves adj in the raw file, pretend like the dust spots aren't there.

Steve, I really like this take on that area. It looks like a bit of northeast angle to me over the more often seen total eastward sunrise capture. As such, it presents a very calming and much cooler temperature look to this very hot and harsh area of JTNP. I love the layout here and the excellent detail too.

I have yet to get a good image of the Cholla Garden in JTNP. Your image here
has inspired me to keep trying. Well done, Steve.

Steve, great desert scene and the Cholla are awesome.

Just don't get too close to one, see how the stems look like spiny hot dogs. They break off very easily a soon as they touch cloth or flesh. That's how they got the nickname "jumping" Cholla. Another nasty characteristic is the spines swell when they pierce the skin and draw blood. Making them very painful to extract, I suggest a pair of rusty pliers. All around a nasty bugger, but beautiful to look at and the nest of sharp spines makes them glow in the light. So they are a treat to photograph. Nice capture Steve.

I'm just the opposite when I go to JTree, I hardly ever get over to the Cholla garden and seeing this reminds me how much I'm missing. That patch looks really healthy under that soft light. Good stuff!

I really like the glowing chollas in the foreground. For my tastes, the middle and background would work better if the camera were a bit higher, giving a feeling of more depth. I find it a little compressed. I usually have the contrarian opinion, so take it for what it is worth.

Thanks Harley, I see what you mean I was just going for concentrated cholla view. More depth always works better.

I love those empty little flower capsules, great contrast with the spines. I agree with Harley on the depth. I think for a comp like this less sky might actually work better?

Paul, yes that is northeast!

Floris, I wanted to leave room for the advertiser's. Thinking this would be a good don't ever run out of toilet paper ad background.