This image starts a series of "tiny Tucson" pictures. They are close-ups of things from where I live. Details like these always fascinate me. I like how the camera can isolate elements to help see the world in new ways.

This image is a pair of flowers on a cereus cactus in my back yard. The cactus itself looks like some dead twigs, but once a year, in response to the first monsoon rain, it puts out these huge, gorgeous flowers for one night only. They're the size of an adult hand on a good year and they smell like a mix of rose and lilac. Because they bloom at night and are so gorgeous, the blossom is called the "Queen of the Night." This particular pair of queens was photographed early in the morning before dawn. Once the sun hits the petals, the bloom is gone.