Cholla Cactus Garden

A photo essay by Brad Biringer

The Cholla Cactus Garden is best viewed in the early morning hours, even before the sun rises. I have visited this location at least a dozen times throughout the past five years and it's extremely challenging to photograph with the sun rising over the mountains. The image above -- captured on Monday, November 8, 2004 at 6:27 am -- is one of my best efforts, but it came at a price -- dozens of overexposures, underexposures, false starts, nothing to show for a few previous wake-up calls at 4:30 am and 45-minute drives to this location.

Here's the problem: The human eye can detect objects in light from 10 to 12 f/stops apart (from harsh light to deep shadows). Unfortunately, 35mm film cannot record a variance of light more than 2-3 stops apart. Thus, the direct sunlight glaring into the lens coupled with the shadows creates a scenario difficult to capture without using graduated neutral density lens filters. Okay, enough of the photo jargon.

A few minutes after sunrise, I was in a perfect position to capture these images from one of my favorite areas in the park. Although the garden encompasses only a few square miles, it contains one of the most vibrant collections of cholla cactus in the world.

Along with every other living plant or tree in the park, this garden is totally natural. The rare combination of soil composition, altitude, and dry environment allows these cactus to grow naturally. The greenish-yellow bristles capture the morning light especially well, as I have photographed here. The morning is definitely the best time to visit the garden.

If you happen to visit, be extremely careful not to accidentally walk into the needle-sharp bristles. Not only will you damage the cactus, but you will find yourself pulling dozens of needles out of your skin -- like I was doing. Bring a pair of tweezers just in case you find a few dozen needles in your ankle. You'll need it.

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© Brad Biringer 1999-2004
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