Prickly Pear at Sunset, Lajitas Size:24x36 Santa Elena Canyon marks the

Santa Elena Canyon marks the western boundary between the United States and Mexico

threading through layered stone and sparse vegetation

This elevation creates a distinct environment where fog

The scene was illuminated by a full moon

Prickly Pear at Sunset, Lajitas Size:24x36 Santa Elena Canyon marks theLajitas, Texas This photograph was made beneath Lajitas Mesa in Big Bend as the day moved toward sunset. A fully opened prickly pear bloom fills the foreground, its petals catching the last warm light before the desert begins to cool. I worked close to the ground, allowing the flower to dominate the frame while the mesa and surrounding terrain recede behind it. The contrast between the softness of the petals and the rigidity of the land was what held