Thwarted ambition

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1

Thwarted ambition
Thwarted ambition2000×1500 1.65 MB

In the Door and Window canyon trail in Badlands NP this tiny cedar clings to life in the shadows. It’s probably 50 years old, lol, but there is so little sun and water that it persists in a small size. I really liked its isolation and sense of alienation.

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Technical Details

Tripod

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Lr for all processing - curves adjustment to boost contrast, a touch of dehaze, sharpening & nr. Masked the tree to improve texture, inverted the mask to reduce clarity there. A couple radial filters to manage color on the sandy rock and even out some tonalities. Pulled blue channel down - the light rock was reflecting too much sky.

2 Likes
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This has a feeling of isolation amongst the desolation. A tree trying to survive in the dry climate. I think you nailed this one Kris.

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thanks @David_Bostock - it was a cute little tree and so characteristic of the area - pretty much high desert with little rainfall, but tons of snow in winter.