Cholla

[Rajan Parrikar]

Cholla - Death Valley National Parik, California.

[polaris-14]

Wow, Rajan. These are really nice takes on the cactus. It pricked my feet once long time ago and I do not want to be near one anymore, but this is really pretty!

[Colorado David]

I have a photo (not mine so I won't post it) of a group of wilderness first responders working on a woman who is covered in Cholla. It is a very painful image to view.  These guys are examining her and look like they're thinking, "where do we start?"

Beautiful images by the way.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Having been warned about Cholla, I have managed to stay safely away from it whenever I come across it.
I have often thought that it would be beautiful back-lit, but I never had the right light.
You really nailed it, Rajan!

[Rajan Parrikar]

Adhika, David and Eric - thank you.

Wow, I didn't know of 'injury by Cholla.' They looked innocuous and were not clustered together.

[shotupdave]

i have cholla on my property in New Mexico, i removed all of it except in area that we do not usually go into. It can be very very painfull and if one of the needles break off under the skin, a infection can come about.

[aduke]

The needles of the cholla are very sharp and are barbed. They cannot be pulled out without additional damage to the skin. I've been told that the recommended removal procedure is to push them out the other side.

In Arizona, dogs and kids quickly learn to watch out for them.

That being said, I've been trying to photograph them backlit with very little to show for it. The posted images are wonderful.

Alan

[polaris-14]

Rajan, my first encounter with the chollas was at the garden in Joshua Tree NP. I was foolish enough to wear a sandals and not a proper shoes.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Rajan, they look so cute and fuzzy that one is tempted to stroke those soft-looking balls of spines. Don't!

Consider your self fortunate that, like me, you learned about the danger from other's misfortunes rather than from first experience.

Eric

[Paulo Bizarro]

#2 is quite nice, more balanced to me.

[thierrylegros396]

#2 is quite nice, more balanced to me.

+1

And better foreground for me.

Thierry

[francois]

Very nice photos, you got the right light!
Well done again!

About the 'injury by Cholla', I can say that I experienced it just once and it was a good lesson, not need to repeat it. 

[Rajan Parrikar]

Thank you, all!

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Funny, it is also known as Teddy Bear Cactus...so huggable and cuddlesome

[churly]

Very nice job with the light!  I have never encountered a cholla but have a lot of experience pulling prickly pear out of hands and feet.

[John Koerner]

Funny, it is also known as Teddy Bear Cactus...so huggable and cuddlesome

Taxonomy

Nothing to fear 

[MattBurt]

Beautiful photos! Perfect backlight! I'm a big backlight fan.

I wound up with a ball of one of those stuck to my shin when mountain biking once. Not fun!