One Tree, Three Compositions
On a recent outing with a friend to what’s known as the ‘Adobes’ (short for Adobe Badlands) I spotted this tree at just the right time! The Cottonwood with its nice shape and backlit spring growth glowed from the setting sun. I quickly went to work as I knew the light was fleeting and made 3 different compositions. I enjoy going to the Adobes … it offers some landscape variety and when the light falls on the curved hills at the golden hour it can be quite striking. Spring comes a little earlier there and soon there will be some wildflowers and cactus blooms to find.
‘Backlit Cottonwood’ © Denise Bush
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‘Desert Tree At Sunset’ © Denise Bush
‘Adobe Tree at Sunset’ © Denise Bush
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Filed under: Colorado, Landscape Photography | 44 Comments
Tags: adobe badlands, back-light, backlit, cottonwood, landscape, print. photography, tree
Denise Bush’s Photo Blog
What beautiful light! My fav is the first one, I think I like the “big picture”!
Thanks Deb! I couldn’t decide which to add to my store … maybe I will add that one too. I think you get a better representation of the hills in the first.
Yup, gotta agree with Deb.
Thanks for your vote KC!
Ooh, lovely light. I cast my vote with the first, too. The layers of hills and sky add much interest to the shot, particularly the sliver of light and purple clouds.
Thanks Eliza … going to add that one to the store too. It was a golden moment!
Let’s hope it produces ‘gold’ of another kind. 😉
Great light and colors, Denise. So good to try different compositions– each one is special!
Hi Jane … thanks for looking and commenting. It is always nice to hear from you.
Beautifully done!
Glad you like Pete … thanks!
Astonishingly beautiful, I think that this place was made for photographing.
Wonderful color degradations. Congratulations!
Your kind words are always encouraging … thank you!
Yes, beautiful!
Thanks for the thumbs up!!! 😀
It is so great to play with composition when you are in a great place like this one. These are nice and I really can’t pick a favorite.
Thanks Rich. I’m rarely satisfied with just one composition when the subject is worth it!
The first image is my favorite, but I tend to take the wide-view of things as my go-to shooting style.
I agree the wide angle is the most interesting. With everything out in the open here I often find the need to exclude something from the frame.
Great trio of images, Denise. I like them all, but I also think the first is really special; particularly if it is printed large.
Thanks for your comment and vote! 🙂
Beautiful! I like the vertical one best.
Hi … thank you Alexander. I added the first horizontal and the vertical on my online store.
All three are beautiful, Denise! I always love your eye for composition. 🙂
Thank you Donna. Composition is fairly intuitive for me.
That is a such a golden hour! The tone through all the images is amazing. I really like the wide shot. Beautiful!
Thank you Kylie. I want to get out there again but with recent rain it will be best to wait until some of the mud dries up.
That WAS a perfect moment. I like the first one best, and it makes me think of metals – gold, obviously, but also silver and pewter – those clouds. They’re a nice counterpoint to the cottonwood. Also, the first photo gives me an expansive feeling – and like I remember you talking about it has both warm and cool colors working together.
I see several metal colors now that you mention it … great observation! Thank you Lynn!
Beautiful light. Great timing. This is the great challenge, working out for the best composition and I tend to shoot multiple views of the same scene when possible because often times you won’t know until you sit down and review the photos.
Thank you. When out shooting people often ask, “getting some good shots”? And I reply, “I’ll see when I get them home”.
What a lovely tree! You did find it at just the right time. The light, and warmth of golden hour are gorgeous!
Thanks Deborah … I was a happy shooter!
Beautiful captures. Love those bright orange glow of the tree!
Thanks! It certainly was an eye-catching moment!
You really have a great eye for photography Denise. The tree is a beauty – and it really glows in the sunlight. So picturesque!
Thanks very much. It’s so exciting when Mother Nature creates these magical moments and I am ready with my camera!
Enchanted with the first composition which really seems to showcase the tree in all its backlit glory.
Thank you … the wide view seems to be the most popular favorite! 🙂
Denise – Imagine catching that fleeting moment with an 8×10 view camera like Adams (Moonrise)
I imagine Ansel did some planning before breaking out his 8×10. It looks like there could have been several minutes between the time the moon broke above the cloud and when he clicked the shutter.
I read Ansel’s account and listened to his son Michael’s account. Apparently it was quite chaotic getting the camera on top of the car and fumbling for the right lens etc. He could not find his Weston meter and he had enough time for I believe one exposure. What saved him was knowing the exposure for the moon. He put the dark slide back in and when he turned holder around and was about to pull the slide again the light was gone on the crosses. This is why I mentioned it in relation to the fleeting light. Sorry for going on, I teach this stuff. The trouble with being a retired photojournalist, to much time on my hands.
Oh how I love the golden tonality, beautifully composed!
Moments like this remind me that it is all about the light when it comes to landscape photography. I’m glad you like!