Organ Pipes (Stenocereus Thurberi)

While visiting Phoenix, I arrived at the Desert Botanical Garden close to sunset. Against the backdrop of the hazy night sky I found tall and enigmatic figures, most standing at an impressive height of 10 feet (3 meters), creating shadows that seemed to be hauntingly illuminated by artificial lighting. The Stenocereus Thurberi, commonly known as The Organ Pipe Cactus has a lifespan exceeding 150 years. These cacti don’t produce their first flower until they reach the age of 35. Their blossoms, rarely seen during the day, unfurl at night and are pollinated by long-nose bats.

In this image, I wanted to capture the interplay between light and shadow created from the artificial lighting at night. In visualizing this, I aimed to bring out the hidden beauty of these cacti from the perspective of the bats that pollinate them.

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