I was recently up in Yosemite Valley and was armed with my wildlife shooting big gun and this lonely tree on a cliff caught my eye. It’s just hard to imagine a tree surviving up there out of a crack! D500, Nikon 2-500 lens, Nikon 1.4 TC, hand held, 1/1000th, f/8.0, ISO 280, 450mm, cropped to 4749 x 3418, AI Clear
This is a fine look at a tenacious tree. I like the tree in combination with the wall textures. Overall, it looks a little bright to me. Maybe use a curve and pull down the mid point? Good use of the big lens in isolating this scene.
The texture of the rock is wonderful and I really like the shadow. There are some fairly strong vertical elements here which perhaps could have been used for a better vertical composition. Would love to see the original to see what you had to work with.
Dave,
Excellent job isolating this. Lot’s of these amazing nature stories scattered around the walls of the valley. Pulling this out of the grander view was good thinking.
I would agree with Igor about a little more room. A bit more rock I think even enhances the story of this tree growing - and surviving on the face of a granite cliff.
I too like the shadow and the detail of the granite.
Well seen and photographed. No other nits or suggestions really.
Lon
Dave, this image really shows the power of telephoto lens to extract scenes from the landscape, this was a very nice bit of seeing on your part to visualize this. i love how the tree is framed by both is shadow, and that reverse C shaped crack in the rock wall. I agree with @Harley_Goldman that it looks a little bright on my monitor, but not by much, it may be okay if you just add some vignetting along the frame edges. But that is a real nit, overall this is a very pleasing image.
I think I’m acquainted with this particular tree from past visits with a telephoto, but my preconceived notions about when and how to shoot it limited my results. I wanted flat light for detail and no shadows, failing to consider the potential power of the tree’s shadow in the larger composition. You’ve opened my eyes to a better image, but I agree that it’s a bit bright right now. Easy fix.
Hey, what are the odds that you are familiar with THIS tree?! Cool. I recall that it was on a cliff face to the right of Yosemite Falls taken from the vicinity of the Ahwahnee (don’t get me started about that name change…). Same tree? Does this look any better. I darkened it some. Better?
I was sure I recognized it as well, but was wrong. Mine was just east of Tuolumne Meadows on those granite hills by the highway.
Dang, mine is in Zion!!! 
Actually I’m pretty sure it’s the same one I was recalling in Yosemite, but upon my visit the cliff face had lots more water and reflections were the issue in direct light.
In any case, I concur with the repost. Well done.
