Great Cactus Photography Tips

Cactus photography can have quite a few techniques. Cacti can offer such interesting forms, textures and patterns from their spines and get their color from the desert bloom. There are a few tips to bring out the best in your cactus photos. 

Know the Camera

There are steps you will have to take in order to change the camera’s ISO sensitivity. Take the time to become familiar with the camera’s controls. This will enable you to shoot readily once you have arrived in your destination. Learn to use the scene modes on your camera effectively. You will need to learn the shutter priority and aperture modes in combination together with exposure compensation so that the exposures can be fine tuned. This will help you learn what settings are easier so that the best photos can be captured.

Construct Landscapes

Landscaped photos need to give views with a sense of actually being there. You add depth to a photo when you include a background, foreground and mid ground. A foreground with strong element will be interesting like the Saguaros cactus. They are a great wonder to photograph. If photographed correctly, it offers you silhouettes of its classic shape set against colorful sunsets. You will have to spend time looking for a Saguaro, and be able to photograph it at an angle that will give you a clean silhouette. It is easy for the lower plants to get in the composition. If you plan to go out in windy weather, you can get a blurry silhouette if you do not adjust your exposure. You are able to capture photograph from the ground level without lying down on the ground by using Live View to compose a shot.

Shoot Any Place, Any Time

Even though the best time to shoot photos of cacti is in the early evening or early morning hours, there are times that are perfect for shooting in the afternoon. Shadows can give your photos details. Cacti spines can pick up a glow that outlines the silhouette of the cacti itself in backlit scenes. In a broad shot, the spines of the cactus plant will get lost in scenes that are front lit. This is a shot that will work perfectly when the sun is low. You have to keep an eye out for lens flare. 

Photograph in Transition Weather

Inclement weather has a way of adding texture, intrigue and ambience to the photos. Photographing right before a rain storm approaches or right before it leaves yields a dramatic light that is perfect for photos. For cacti, monsoon season light gives the photo an interesting potential. Clear skies and dark clouds give your photo a visual, almost surreal contrast. Saugaro National park is the perfect location to get photographs of this nature. When trying to capture the texture of large cacti, side lighting or back lighting with a fill flash is very effective. 

Tip

Be careful if you have to swoop down to photograph a cactus; unprotected contact with them can be painful.