Gift of light part II

CLICK FOR FULL VIEW

An encore of the previous image, when the light really fired up. Yes...The mountains were that red. I have been working on new blending techniques for greater DOF and keep practicing on subjects such as this. Cacti are probably more difficult than any other item to focus stack simply because of the outermost spines. I always enjoy the challenge and I am constantly finding ways to improve the quality and consistency of my work. This image consists of nine images, eight shot at different focal points and then one to blend for dynamic range. Even with the grad ND filter, it was necessary to blend. This was truly a study in light and texture and I am extremely happy I was able to capture it.

Please view this image on my website where it displays against a dark background [link]

Like this image and more on facebook! [link]

Mcdowell mountains- Arizona