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Big Bend #4

#4 – Ocotillo Sunset

We usually stop at the “Ocotillo Fields” near the park entrance to photograph the sunset on our first day at the Park. The official road is Texas Highway 118 and it’s named “Panther Junction Road”. If memory serves me right this location is about mile marker #21. The ocotillos bloom in mid-spring and the color of the flowers are amazing. Their leaves turn yellow in the fall and those colors are amazing as well. I’m not sure which one I like best but I thought the sun against the yellow-orange leaves created a very nice glow on the Ocotillo stalks. I really enjoy our first nights in the park because we have a great time grilling steaks and discussing the plans for the week.

Original Post: December 11, 2015

Location:  Off of Highway 118, just past the western park entrance (Maverick Junction). A short drive and a very short hike. We setup about a hundred feet from the road.

EquipmentCanon EOS 5D Mark III, my Canon EF16-35mm f/2.8 Lens, tripod and a remote shutter release.

Camera Settings: Aperture Priority mode, lens at 16mm, f/14, 1/160th of a second, ISO 100.

Post Processing: This is a single image processed in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Comments: The challenge with this shot was that the Ocotillos were moving slightly with the wind and the light was beginning to fade. I also wanted to capture a nice starburst from the setting sun so I had to be patient and wait until the sun went half-way down the horizon. It was worth the wait. I don’t think I needed an aperture of f/14 but I wanted to make sure that I got a good starburst and that everything was sharp and in focus, especially the little ocotillo in the foreground. Of course, clouds would have made this photograph much better. But, that’s part of being in the desert!

Ocotillo Sunset
BBNP – Ocotillo Sunset

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T. Kahler Photography
© 2016 T. Kahler Photography

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