Just across the arroyo from my home is a nice rock outcrop running north/south for a half mile, and turns gold in color when the sun sets. I'd recalled a unique juniper along the edge and decided to locate it last eve. Comments and critiques of any kind welcomed.
Terry, a little too much on the right hand side for my tastes, however a crop would center the tree and not be strong either. I like the cloud background and if you have a wider view on the lefty and the clouds taper nicely, I would prefer that. Nice old tree. Rick
In your original the juniper is definitely the subject—the clouds make a nice background and the eye isn't prone to wandering out of the frame. The right-hand bushes and rock slant towards the tree as well.
The wider version renders the juniper smaller—there's less impact. The sky on the left...what purpose? My eye wandered over there and almost didn't return The clouds clinging to the bottom of the frame are a distraction...or is there "something" down there, just out of view? The poor juniper, besides being smaller, doesn't seem so golden now.
I'd print the first, and delete the second. That's a fine juniper.
Thanks Bill, you bring up some good points as well, which also lend as to why version one was posted in the first place. From just outside my home at sunset, I see the cliffs turn bright gold at sunset, and they are spectacular to observe; which was why I left so much of the rock formation in version one.
The canyon covers a fairly large expanse. I hadn't found a way to convey its beauty as of yet, thus the alternative perspective of capturing the juniper as well.
In both versions the bottom crop is required as another canyon wall comes in from the left at 90 degrees, a 1/4 mile distant. Both sloped walls are about 300 ft tall, and the section of cap rock is about 70 ft tall.
The clouds clinging to the bottom of the frame are a distraction...or is there "something" down there, just out of view? The poor juniper, besides being smaller, doesn't seem so golden now.