Saturation

Though I don't advocate relying on computer alterations for every image, sometimes using a photo editing software can produce a scene that has a much greater impact than could ever be achieved with a camera.  I love color.  (A friend of mine actually calls me a color whore-but that's besides the point.)  If I were to chose a favorite element it would definitely be color and extremely saturating my photos in color is great fun.

Aside from being taken from a worm hole perspective, the first image above isn't all that interesting.  The light is okay but the image was taken at a time of day when the sun was high in the sky.  It was reflecting off of every surface including the very large rock slab directly to the right of this tree (that several of us had been climbing all morning) and caused there to be limitations in the image's contrast.  However, as I stood there watching my friends climb, I couldn't help but notice the way the sunlight illuminated the leaves.  What struck me the most was that the colors and illumination reminded me greatly of the beauty that can be found among the aspens of Evergreen- a reminder of home. So, I proceeded to crouch and crab walk around the tree to find the most optimal angle for the emotion I wanted to capture.  (People already think I'm crazy and I don't think squat-hopping around the base of a tree improved their opinions of me very much.)

The images I took didn't really satisfy me but when I got home and downloaded them I started playing with color saturation.  In the final product I completely flushed the saturation point.  I think this image has a much greater impact than the original and expresses more of the emotions I was feeling that day.  Its likeness to a drug trip (something I've only heard about and never experienced...) is much like my high on life that day.  I was in Moab, Utah- a beautiful place, climbing with people I cared about in good weather, and there was this tree that seemed to celebrate my journey- a beacon of taking home with me wherever I go.