Inspirations - Cactus Spikes by Hamish Roots

© Hamish Roots

I would love to say I was crawling on my belly surrounded by thorny cacti in an arid landscape, dominated by towering pillars and arches of wind-carved stone, lit by the after-glow of a falling sun over the horizon…but sadly no, this image was made in Bristol (UK) on a brief trip to a local flower shop to pick up a gift for a friend. I spied this cactus on a table and was drawn to its soft spherical shape contrasting wonderfully with the sharp spikes jutting out of its surface, the diffused light from a skylight provided just enough illumination to pick out the details.

By chance I had my camera with me at the time (I was returning from photographing some woods near by), I used a shallow depth of field to accentuate just a small number of the spikes whilst still retaining the shape of the cactus body throughout the image. As much as a graphic image of shapes and forms coming in and out of focus, it also reminds me to be aware of my surroundings and details within it – regardless of whether I’m knee-deep in snow ‘somewhere’ within the Arctic Circle or standing on a street corner in Hong Kong. I had no idea what I would find when I went to the shop but I’m glad I had my camera with me! ~ Hamish Roots

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