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The Hedgehog cacti of the Echinocereus genus is found throughout the deserts of the American Southwest and into Mexico. Although it looks similar to the Claret Cup cacti it's uniquely different in its tasty fruit that resembles a strawberry or kiwi fruit. You might have a hard time seeing the fruit in the wild as it is highly coveted by the locals, namely birds and critters. When I first saw the fruit I cautiously removed the long needle clusters and luckily discovered that unlike prickly pear cacti fruit, it doesn't have the small nettles on its skin. I removed the skin with a knife and was surprised at how wonderful it tasted plus I didn't get high or die! Only after that did I search to found out that it is quite edible. I was fortunate enough to have friends with several on their property which they shared with me and now they grace our cacti garden.

Hedgehog Splendor was captured with a Nikon Z7 with a Nikon 24-70s lens at 70mm at F8 and is a focus stack of 9 images.

Dave embarked on his photographic journey during his junior high years in Menlo Park, CA, where he first explored the world of photography in a home darkroom. His fascination with rock climbing blossomed during high school, particularly against the iconic backdrops of Yosemite. After graduating, he joined Yosemite's search and rescue team, seamlessly intertwining his passions for climbing and photography. His photographic talents quickly gained recognition, making him a sought-after contributor for renowned publications such as Outside, Rock & Ice, Climbing, Mountain, and Men's Journal. Corporations like R.E.I., W.L. Gore, Sierra Designs, The North Face, Lowe Alpine Systems, and 3M also enlisted his expertise for their promotional...