Sunday, May 3, 2009

Yet another odd-looking cactus

Click to enlarge
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It's been terribly gray here the past few days, and right on time for Aileni's Monochrome Maniacs, too. Hopefully the sun will reappear sometime soon and I'll be able to get back to shooting the lovely bright colors of spring. In the meantime, it's either quite a lot of black and white or repeated trips back into the archives to see what pops up.
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I should have saved yesterday's mono shot for today, just to give you all a break from the "strange unidentified cactus-type plant converted into black and white" that I seem to keep doing lately. I do seem to have a fair amount of them and cactuses just seem to lend themselves very well to monochrome, and goodness knows it isn't hard to find a cactus in this part of the world.
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This particular one is growing at the Tel Megiddo archeological site, which you may know better by its Christian name - Armageddon. (Follow that link for more pictures from our recent visit to Tel Megiddo.)
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27 comments:

Aileni said...

Sharp leaves, sharp picture.

Scribbit said...

The one you posted earlier this week looks just like a plant that only grows on Haleakala in Maui. Silversword or something like that.

Though obviously it can't be the same plant. Unless you don't live in Tel Aviv after all and have been hiding out in Hawaii secretly.

Carver said...

That is an interesting cactus. I like the shot a lot.

Mojo said...

I'm not even halfway to tired of seeing your unidentified cacti. So shoot on, lovely lady! This almost looks like aloe vera. Which, considering where you found it, would be hysterically appropriate.

Lovely shot whatever it is. And isn't that what matters most anyway?

Anne said...

SO different than outsiden my door. Totaly different!!

But i can send over the blue sky and the sun :-) even it there is still cold her in Norway.

Nice week to you.

judi/Gmj said...

Sharp and looks like it could hurt, monochrome makes it more so!

day by day said...

Oh, we have been having some very gray weather here, too! Great picture!!

2sweetnsaxy said...

I guess I'm so used to seeing cactus out here and various types at the botanical gardens focusing on desert plants that this one isn't that odd to me. :-) It's a great shot.

kden said...

I wouldn't have even guessed it was a cactus. I guess I'm just used to the stickery kind. Looks lovely in Mono.

James said...

It looks like agave to me. When I was a kid we used to have sword fights with those things. Very nice black and white shot.

Libby's Library said...

Just got back from Florida, where it's dry, dry, DRY. Here in LA it's pouring. Past lots of homes, that now have ponds in their front yards. - Hope your spring day's show up soon!

Anonymous said...

Lovely photo. This cactus has very interesting patterns. A few of the spears look like they are melting in the hot sun.

Robin said...

Very nice! You know how when us chics go to the beach and lie out...how eventually we prop one leg on top of the raised knee of the other? (maybe it's just me...but when you get older and your back just doesn't take the lying flat thing? Or we know we'll snore that way?) This picture reminds me of a tough female with attitude, but giving a few barbs a rest. I may be crazy but I saw some feminity with your choice of frame. Love it!

allhorsestuff said...

Very wonderful cactus! I really like the way some of the spears bend over!
KacyK

Marie Reed said...

This cactus is quite the looker in monochrome! Love it!

deedee said...

I would love to visit your country someday. Every photo you post is beautiful.

Dina said...

Ha, I like your further explanation of the cactus in your comment.
Yes, the wind even woke me up just before dawn. Right now the rain is starting. Let's hope it will wash all that dust out of our air.

Liz Hinds said...

Cacti do well in mono. That's a good one.

Robin said...

I wish I could take credit for that Dina but it wasn't me - that's one of my readers, confusingly also named Robin. Check out her blog, she has me in stitches with every post!

maryt/theteach said...

Hi Robin, my Monochrome goes up Wednesday... I love your Monochrome and that there's an acual place called Armageddon. I went over to your post about it. Thanks for the info! :)

Anonymous said...

I agree with Anne - totally different then the plants I have around the house we live in. But the photo is beautiful!

Have a nice week!

Daryl said...

Love this ... it perfect!

Claremont First Ward said...

I didn't know that plant was a cactus!

Anne-Berit said...

The cactus looks like one I have in my livingroom window.Nice shot!

Unknown said...

Most variegated plants are fun to photograph in black and white. This one is no exception.

Clueless in Boston said...

Well done. I like cactus and have one in my office (small one in a pot:) and a glass one too.

Catherine said...

For me their leaves look like ribbons. They're perefct in bleck and white Robin. Very elegant.
I like cactus, Agave, or whatever I class in the cactus category.