THE TORCH, in Black and White is a photograph by Douglas Taylor which was uploaded on September 12th, 2023.
THE TORCH, in Black and White
The brilliant fishhook barrel cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni) flower shines like a torch as it begins to open under the bright desert summer sun in the... more
Title
THE TORCH, in Black and White
Artist
Douglas Taylor
Medium
Photograph - Fine Art Digital Photography
Description
The brilliant fishhook barrel cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni) flower shines like a torch as it begins to open under the bright desert summer sun in the Tucson Mountains west of Tucson, Arizona.
Blooming from July through September, the flowers of this globular to cylindrical cactus range from deep maroon and red to brilliant yellow, with an infinite variety of oranges and variegations to be found. But only if you search out these brilliant beauties during the hottest part of the day. They only open in full daylight and begin to close by mid-afternoon.
The funnel shaped flowers are usually clustered close together around the crown of the cactus and are about 2 to 3 inches wide. A mature Fishhook Barrel cactus can be over 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide. They are also (mistakenly) called "compass" barrel cactus because they invariably lean to the south, though the common name actually belongs to a similar Ferocactus species. The range of the Fishhook Barrel includes southern Arizona and New Mexico, southwestern Texas, and across the border in northern Mexico at elevations under 4,500 feet.
This distinctive macro perspective finds the sunny yellow, 1-1/2 inch wide flower highlighted against the shadow of early afternoon light. It is formatted in the 2:3 ratio where a bright, bold, and dramatic black and white floral image is desired for a 16" x 24" style presentation up to a giant 4 foot by 6 foot print with astonishing clarity. It will also make a delightful jigsaw puzzle.
This presentation is a black and white, monochromatic version of my popular color portrait titled "Torch" with some added contrast.
Uploaded
September 12th, 2023
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Comments (8)
Jane M Dahl
The interesting patterns and textures are really visible with this presented in black and white. Featured in American Desert Southwest.
Douglas Taylor replied:
Thank you, Jane! Your wonderful support for my art is ALWAYS appreciated by this man.
VIVA Anderson
This is stunning, Douglas. The TORCH is such a wonderfully dynamic visual, in colour, and now, B/W !! looking fabulous too !!....Kudos,fav.
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