CLINGING TO LIFE
Bryce Canyon NP, Utah
Bryce Canyon NP, Utah
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Dec, 2017Views
146
Likes
Awards
People's Choice in Tree Roots Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 1
Top 30 rankTop 20 rank week 1Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Bryce Canyon National Park, UtahTime
It was mid afternoon in December when the sun was at a low angle. Overhead there were high altitude whispers of cloud. While it was a comfortable cool day, the tree's barren roots revealed that this was a place that also experienced extreme environmental crises. While the tree was well adapted to tolerate both freezing winters and scorchingly hot summers, rare wind driven cloud bursts of rain had had a truly brutal impact on the tree by washing away the soil that protected its web of surface roots. That the tree was still alive indicated that it wasn't depending only on having surface roots to provide its mineral nourishment.Lighting
Mid winter lighting cutting across at a 45 degree angle helped to bring out relief in the tree and root structure.Equipment
The photo was taken with a Nikon D500 camera coupled with a Nikkor 18 to 300 mm lens. No flash or tripod was used.Inspiration
The pine tree's seeming ability to endure the harshest of environmental conditions made it a subject worth photographing. That it was able to do this while perching precariously on the edge of a steep cliff made its survival skills seem all the more wondrous.Editing
Other than a bit of cropping and increasing the contrast slightly I don't recall doing much else.In my camera bag
My standard photo equipment in the field consists of one camera and one lens, namely a Nikon D500 and a Nikkor 18 to 300 mm lens. The lens is sharp enough, camera tracking abilities good enough and the quality of vibration reduction system sufficient to catch the variety of photographic conditions I encounter in the field. Using a single ultra zoom lens also means not having to take time to switch lenses in the middle of a field shoot or risk getting dust on the photo processor. Almost all of my more than 170 plus ViewBug challenge wins and contest successes have been achieved with this equipment. In addition to the Nikon camera and Nikkor lens my camera bag includes spare SD cards, camera batteries and camera lens cleaner. My bag is of the sling type which enables me to swing it to the front and reach the camera in a moments notice. I have removed the bulk of the camera padding and replaced it with a gardener's knee pad. While serving as camera padding during travel, when I am shooting onsite the pad sometimes serves as something to sit, kneel or lie on. I rarely take long exposures so I leave my tripod behind most of the time.Feedback
When photographing plants, animals, scenery or whatever I try to look for visual signs of what makes it special or unique. I also ask myself is the subject powerful enough and can I take the photo from such a perspective that I would honestly consider it to be worthy of hanging on a wall.
