Echinocereus (cactus) flowers

[c.j.]

A lot of cacti are starting to bloom at my place. The blossoms only last for a day or two on this particular species.

This is an Echinocereus (hedgehog cactus) hybrid.

[paulnj]

These images look a bit too contrasty? Please I beg you to get them as the sun goes down or comes up. They are worth the extra effort ;)

[c.j.]

These images look a bit too contrasty? Please I beg you to get them as the sun goes down or comes up. They are worth the extra effort ;)

I would love to get them early or late, but, being cactus flowers, they don't open fully until bright midday sun. It is 5:55 right now, still sunny, (golden hours by most photog's standards) but too late for the diurnally blooming cacti. These guys have been closed since about 4…

The 'grain' on the outer petals is the way it looks. I'll try again tomorrow and see if I can capture it any differently. The 'contrasty' look of the rest is pretty much spot-on. I'll get some of the cholla tomorrow and you'll see a kind of pattern or 'look' to the cacti flowers.

[paulnj]

Definately not my thing, but how about you shield the mid day sun with a thin white sheet(or something semi translucent) to cut down on the harsh contasty midday sun. Those flowers in soft lighting will look so much nicer than they already do.

[c.j.]

Definately not my thing, but how about you shield the mid day sun with a thin white sheet(or something semi translucent) to cut down on the harsh contasty midday sun.

I'll try a piece of shade cloth and a sheet and see what happens.

Thanks for the help!!!

[walterick]

Hey CJ

We have blooming cacti all over the place around here too. I am trying to free some time up to go shot some saguaro blooms this week.

We have a cactus in our front yard that blooms it seems only at night. By the time I get my lazy ass up it's already closing. Do you know anything about those? I'll go grab a pic just for demonstrating purposes.

Nice shots!

[walterick]

Okay, ran out and grabbed a few. You can tell in shot #2, it's already closing up at 7:30. Half an hour ago it was more open.

[c.j.]

Hey CJ

We have blooming cacti all over the place around here too. I am trying to free some time up to go shot some saguaro blooms this week.

We have a cactus in our front yard that blooms it seems only at night. By the time I get my lazy ass up it's already closing. Do you know anything about those? I'll go grab a pic just for demonstrating purposes.

Nice shots!

Hi,

I'm not sure, let me check a few sources. There should be some great 'giant moth' activity by it, right when it opens at sunset and right before daybreak. White-lined Sphinx moth behaves like a hummingbird and should frequent that plant. Hawk moths, too (same family)

The saguaro should bloom from late afternoon, through the night into early morning. My friends' saguaros have partially bloomed and full bloom should be any day, now.