Another small scene from Utah.
D850, 70-200mm
Uncropped:
Cropped"
2 Likes
A really strong feel of isolation and desolation wrapped up in one scene here, Harley. Has a bit more of a DVNP look than the hues of S.W. Utah. Maybe a piece of old Manzonita there?.. 
It is a twisted piece of juniper. Juniper trees all around this particular area.
Looks like that juniper branch has been there for a couple of years. The cracked bentonite along the upper portion of the image is as cracked and weathered as the juniper branch. I think the grouping of small rocks adds a lot to this image. I wish I could see scenes like this when I’m out scouting. Great visualization Harley. I agree with @Paul_Breitkreuz about this looking more like a scene from Death Valley. Hard times!
I love this sort of scene! Wonderful soft colors and light, and excellent DOF. The dark rocks work well but for me, the interesting stuff near the top pulls my eye away from the branch. I’d consider cropping it out or at least try a major contrast reduction, although that may not work well. For me, it’s two different scenes – both gorgeous but competing.
2 Likes
Really interesting thought, Diane. I went ahead and cropped it and reposted it. I would be appreciative of any opinions between the two. Thanks for the idea, Diane.
I would save every last pixel at the top that I could, so as not to crowd the branch points. I’d also clone out the one triangular-shaped rock at the top right.
Put me down for the cropped version, Harley. I am loving the earth tones in the scene along with all those exquisite textures and details; particularly those of that gnarly twisted Juniper. This tells a nice story of the harshness of the desert environment.
Another vote for the cropped version. I like how the crop makes the “trident” part of the juniper more prominent, and also makes the pebbles in the URC a more important part of the image. In the original image my wanders to the top and out of the frame, but in the crop the viewer clearly gets led to the trident.
The shape of this juniper is just outstanding. The reverse C-curve is great but me it’s the way the smaller parts branch out that is the thing that creates a lot of interest. This is a great intimate scene Harley, there are a lot of nice details here to appreciate and study.
The cropped version make the juniper branch more prominent. I am also enjoying all the textures and detail you have captured.