Sandstone and Pine Cone

Among the many ways I've changed and grown as a landscape photographer during the past decade, with the help of the fantastic resources and people here at NPN, is as a composer and admirer of microcosms and intimate landscapes. Not that I don't still have great appreciation for a superb grand scenic composition. I completely agree with John Fielder, who writes in his book Photographing the Landscape, "I consider an excellent grand scenic the most difficult to make." Up until about ten years ago, a substantial majority of my compositions were grand scenics, and most of the remaining minority were intimate landscapes, with only occasional passing attempts at microcosms. But since then that distribution has shifted significantly. Today, the majority of my compositions are intimate landscapes, followed not too far back by microcosms, while grand scenics comprise only a small percentage of my work. I captured the image above in October of 2007 in a dry wash in east Zion. But I haven't posted it to NPN before now. It is one of my favorite compositions, and represents my increased efforts as of late to seek out and compose quality microcosms. Look down. Sometimes a great photograph is right at your feet.

Canon 5D
Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS
67mm, f/18, 1.0 second, ISO 100