Figure 1. Ocotillo, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Not a true cactus, ocotillo does have cactus features such as its spiny stick and growing leaves after rainfall. Its shape is so unique and hard to forget once you have seen it.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is in Colorado Desert, one district of Sonoran Desert. Ocotillo is abundant and can be seen in many places in this park. Just like other iconic desert plants such as Joshua tree and Saquaro, it is easy to take a picture of it. It is, however, difficult to get a picturesque one.
Of course, it looks good when ocotillo is with green leaves and red flowers. This means it needs to be shot not too long after sufficient rainfall. Some time before or after the golden hours is my favorite time for contrast, with help from the terrain or the (cumulus) clouds. In this case, the canyon wall of the Borrego Palm Canyon gives the desired contrast.
Knowing the object, keeping track of the weather, being familiar with the terrain and hiking some miles can all be contributing factors for a good photo. That makes photography difficult, but also fun.
