Interesting Photo of the Day: Blood Red Cacti

Interesting Photos

For photographers based in the desert, taking pictures of cacti likely becomes second nature. Without a doubt, Arizona-based photographer Eric Noeske has seen his fair share of the wild succulent. However, with today’s interesting photo, he managed to shine a new light on the familiar subject.

“Cactus at Night, Lit by my Phone” by Eric Noeske (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

Here’s how he did it. Likely inspired by a striking night sky filled with both stars and clouds, Noeske ventured out with his Pentax K-1 to make a few images. Utilizing the natural desert shrubbery as foreground material, he set up his gear and composition.

In order to capture the sky in a single exposure, Noeske had to keep his camera’s shutter open for a full 30 seconds. However, he found that he wanted just a touch of additional light to highlight the shapes happening in the foreground.

In order to do that without impacting the sky, he shined his phone’s flash at the scene. Initially, he covered the light with his fingertip, intending to precisely control just how much light reached the scene. What Noeske didn’t immediately realize was that some of the light was still able to travel through his finger, creating a reddish light that would normally require a gel filter to attain.

Sometimes, getting an eye-catching image is all about embracing our happy accidents!