This photograph was made just north of Osoyoos in a protected area that has the same status as a provincial park. The area is the northernmost limit of the Sonora desert. It is home to unique flora, lichen and fungi much of which is fragile. Even a footprint can break the thin cover and create a sandspot that can take many years to heal over. This place is even more special in that much of the land in the area has been put to agriculture, mainly as vineyards.
The root of the Antelope Brush runs very deep to search for water. As such it can grow in places too dry for even Sagebrush. This picture was made with a very wide angle lens, so it can be difficult to determine the size of the objects you see. The Antelope Brush is about 1.5 metres high. The use of a wide angle lens at a small aperture makes this picture very sharp and capable of an excellent enlargement.
The camera recorded the following information in the original image file:
Nikon D2X
2007/05/08 10:12:41.7
Color
Data Format: RAW (12-bit)
Compression: None
Image Size: Large (4288 x 2848)
Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G
Focal Length: 15mm
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Spot
1/80 sec - F/16
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Flash Sync Mode: Not Attached
Sensitivity: ISO 160
Color Mode: Mode II (Adobe RGB)
Hue Adjustment: 0
Gerald & Irmgard Carter
White Balance: Direct Sunlight
AF Mode: AF-C
Tone Comp: Less Contrast
Saturation: Normal
Sharpening: None
Long Exposure NR: Off
High ISO NR: Off