Impression of the Sonoran desert - filtered treatment in portrait format.

Taken from the roadside, possibly even from the moving car.  The original was a flat, poorly focused image.  The angle of the light relative to our position, for one thing, and the time of day, for another, weren't conducive to a great shot.  But I liked the two large saguaros when I saw them, and I still like the overall composition of the shot.  So I fell back on pp'ing with some filters to make the image pop a little more and to make it obvious that I was going for an impression of the scene rather than a strict rendering of it.
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Saguaro National Park, East.
Tucson, Arizona
December 20, 2012 (mid- to late morning)
(For anyone interested, I used about equal amounts of the Photoshop Fresco and Sumi-e filters.)
Javelina Rocks

DP021-2013.  Posted January 21, 2013; processed Jan. 21.
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The location name, Javelina Rocks, describes an outcropping of Catalina gneiss that is frequented by javelinas.  The last major turnout on the park's loop drive is at this spot.  The gneiss in question formed from granite rather than from sedimentary rock.  Bright neon green lichen had colonized many of the surfaces.  I don't yet know the geologic history that tipped the layers of rock so steeply at this location.
Saguaro National Park, East.
Tucson, Arizona
December 20, 2012 (mid- to late morning)

Many thanks to all who left comments on the euphorbia picture, especially those who looked at both versions and expressed a preference one way or another.
NM-2013-111: Soledad Canyon, Dona Ana County, NM, USA
Cactus Variety at Superstition Mountain Arizona 2002 c cr Scan-121125-0008
Cactus
Variegated African Candelabra, Euphorbia Ammak variegata.  Detail of the spines.

Whenever I'm photographing nature, I have a kind of dual personality.  The scientist in me is interested in seeing and learning about new things.  The artist in me is more concerned with visual impact.  I'm focused on things like color, shapes, patterns, light and shadows.  This detail of the ruffled spiny edge of a tall euphorbia is a crude attempt at finding a way to emphasize the graphical elements that most appealed to me, using the limited set of filters available to me.  It was easy to settle on monochrome rather than color, but harder to bring out details of the spiny ridge and leave the background muted.
For comparison, the color version can be seen here. _  http://smu.gs/WruV4C .
An earlier shot of the full plant is here. _ http://smu.gs/13SadQX

DP020-2013.  Posted January 20; processed January 19.
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The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Arizona Desert in Bloom
A rear sight in Phoenix area, is a colorful desert. Maybe every 10 years we will get enough  winter rain to wake up the dormant seeds buried in the desert floor. If so spring comes alive and it’s a crazy time for photographers, who are out in droves. And so we wait for another wet winter..and wait..and wait!
2612 cactus spines
2614 cactus spines
NM-2013-111: Soledad Canyon, Dona Ana County, NM, USA
NM-2013-111: Soledad Canyon, Dona Ana County, NM, USA
NM-2013-111: Soledad Canyon, Dona Ana County, NM, USA
See photo in original gallery.