This photo was taken not far from where I live at Croton Point Park in Croton, NY. The tree is a total outlier and looks like something out of a Tolkien novel. I chose a tighter crop becasue the sky wasn't very interetsing and I felt it gave the tree more of an ominous feel.
This photo was taken in the Valley of Fire state park in Nevada. I decide to step down off of the rock and include my friend in the shot for scale and as a counterpoint to the sunburst to add a little tension.