Blaze of Glory (Infrared). Century Plants (Agave americana) are actually a bit misnamed, since they only live for 1-3 decades. But apparently they just didn’t find “Decade Plants”, the more accurate name for them, very trendy, so they’ve continued to call themselves “Century Plants” for, well, centuries. And they compensate with showmanship for what they lack in longevity by ending their lives in a very theatrical flourish of blossoms. This one had taken up residence in prime real estate alongside Sedona’s Llama Trail, with a million dollar view of Courthouse Butte. And like all of its compatriots, it gave us a beautiful infrared glow for its swan song.

Image ©2021 James D. Peterson

Tech info: Nikon D3200 camera (modified for infrared with 590nm filter), Nikon 28-300mm lens at 62mm, 1/400 sec. at f11, ISO 200.