Saturday, January 2, 2010

Desert Shadows







Today for Shadow Shot Sunday I'm sharing some common sights from the Sonoran Desert. The first two are of prickly pear cactus. In the third shot, the spindly cholla cactus is "overshadowed" by a mighty ocotillo. And lastly, a female Gambel's quail as she posed for me.

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37 comments:

Ralph said...

We who live in the cold fail to appreciate the beauty in the desert - so often we think of a colorless landscape in the Sonora. Yet we see shadows from complex cactii, and the hills and sky so wonderfully accent the view of the desert floor. I am happy that the quail posed so ladylike for you too! Wonderful captures from warm Arizona!

Icy BC said...

Oh beautiful shadow of the cactus, Diane. I don't them here, so this is a great treat!

Love the last photo with shadow of the bird and the bush, too.

Gaelyn said...

Great shadows in your desert shots. Sometimes I find the shadows more interesting than the object creating it. Of course the bright sun in AZ doesn't hurt.

penny said...

The cactus cast a beautiful shadow, Diane. I enlarged your shot of the posing quail and she is gorgeous.

Martha Z said...

This is the time of year to enjoy the desert, blue skies, shadows and vivid colors, none washed out by the suns glare.
Great shots all, Diane, but the quail is my favorite.

Chubby Chieque said...

I never been to the dessert but seeing these pix of yours makes me plan to visit Arizona one day.

Great shots!

Wishing you all the best of 2010.

Sylvia K said...

Terrific shadow shots, Diane! Love the cactus and the quail! And such beautiful clouds and skies!! Hope your new year is off to a great start! Wishing you love and laughter, peace, good health and prosperity! Enjoy!

Sylvia

Anya said...

I love your shadows :-)

Happy New Year
or in Dutch we say
Gelukkig Nieuwjaar :-)

Kareltje =^.^=
Anya :-)

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Beautiful shadow pictures, Diane. I love that Quail... You captured a fabulous picture of it.

Hugs,
Betsy

Lindy said...

Great shadow captures. I like the shadows on the mountains, too, in the second photo. Looks like a nice trail for a walk. =)

storyteller said...

Wonderful desert shadows captured and shared! I love how the first shot looks like people and the clouds are marvelous in the second photo that reveals the source of the first shadow. How nice that quail posed for you ... they're often too quick for me to catch with my camera. LOTS of sunshine where I live, so I’ve shared A Mosaic of Neighborhood Shadows at Sacred Ruminations and ‘Critter Shadows’ at Small Reflections.
Hugs and blessings,

Tom Bailey said...

I like the first shot the best. I thought there might be a little snow by now there. Cactus photos bring back great memories of cactus I planted as a kid in my families backyard that grew into HUGE cactus plants.

Thanks for sharing
Tom Bailey

betchai said...

i smiled when i saw the first picture, i love cactus, and its shadow make it more unique. your pictures are lovely, shadows added more depth into the images.

Jonny Hamachi said...

Great Stuff

JTG (Misalyn) said...

Great shadow shots Diane. I personally like the 2nd photo. I can feel the warmness of the desert.

Happy weekend Diane.

Golden West said...

Sweet quail!

Jen said...

Great shadow shots Diane! I've yet to see a Quail stand still. ha!

Chubskulit Rose said...

great shadow shots!

MY SSS post. Have a great weekend!

Dianne said...

fun shadows!!

Hey Harriet said...

The second shot is really pretty with those fluffy clouds. And that is a rather tubby looking quail. No shortage of food in the desert I guess :)

Amanda at 32˙North said...

I love the clouds in the second shot -- so moody and so much going on.

Unknown said...

These are fabulous shadows, especially in the first photo! Well done!

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

I especially like the third shot Diane, then the second one.

rainfield61 said...

Your shadows are interesting. I thought I saw the shadow of a cock in the first photo.

Can you get it?

Naqvee said...

The most beautiful thing about these fotos is that they have the muddy, brownish feel to it with a blue sky which you can not find in "Thar dessert" of India. They are lovely and the only thing missing in here is the ship of dessert ... Camel

Crafty Green Poet said...

wonderful series of photos, the prickly pear throws such stunning shadows....

Margaret Gosden said...

Lovely desert shots. The quail is a great capture - it is a wonder that it just waited to be photographed!

A Wild Thing said...

I'm warming my fingers by the heat of your desert...it's cold here in Iowa!!!

Quasi Serendipita said...

Great shots, I especially like the first one.

Patti said...

I've never been to the desert so I enjoy seeing it through your photos. The first photo's shadows remind me of people standing in a line.

What gorgeous surroundings! And it looks warm...it's really cold here today in Connecticut.

Great capture of the female quail. Nice of her to pose for you.

Ebie said...

These are great photos. One great thing about living in the west is seeing shadows almost all year round.

Carolyn Ford said...

Such interesting shadows a cactus creates! These are so perfect. And, the quail has been captured so nicely. They are such beautiful birds.

Helena said...

These are wonderful captures! Thanks for sharing them with us! :)

Ayie said...

Those desert shadows somehow look like people walking in line

SquirrelQueen said...

Great shadows and the little quail is adorable. The sun looks wonderful to me right now, it's been over a week and then it was just a quick peek.

DoanLegacy said...

Wonderful desert shadow photos! The cactus ones are awesome!

Marvin said...

Super photos! The prickly pear shadow looks something like a gathering of large-headed, small-bodied alien beings.