Clinging to Life - a photo on Flickriver

Clinging to Life

            A lone juniper continues its solitary vigil at lands end as the golden light of sunrise fills the skies and canyons, Dead Horse Point, Utah. I found it necessary to de-saturate the yellows during processing, as the color bordered on surreal.

The desert is a difficult place for many species, yet despite its beautiful and inhospitable face, there are those who cling to life, their history entwined with and shaped by the challenges posed by this place. As we continue to warm the planet, it is anticipated that the deserts of the mountainous West will become both hotter and drier, pushing desert inhabitants to meet challenges that are beyond their evolutionary experience. Already, the thin forests of Pinyon and Juniper are dying back from the most marginal places.

On a day of thanks, when we focus on gratitude for those people and places in our lives that bring us joy and love, I also wonder about what we can do individually and collectively to give back to this land that supports our bodies and fills our spirits. I have been reading 'Braiding Sweetgrass,' by Robin Kimmerer, and she repeatedly makes the point that native cultures were born from the land, and rooted in a sense of reciprocity with the land. Perhaps too often, we think of preserving land as leaving it alone, when in fact, it is our active loving and caring for the land that can help it flourish most beautifully.

I have not yet figured out how to give back to the land, to show how grateful I am for mornings such as this one, as well as all the others. At the very least, the challenge is clear, and for that I am also grateful.

Taken in: United States / Utah (show map)

Taken on: November 19, 2017

Tags:

Abajo Mountains

Canyonlands

Colorado Plateau

Dead Horse Point

Dead Horse Point State Park

Juniperus osteosperma

Landscape

National Park

U.S. National Park

Utah

Utah Juniper

autumn

clouds

dawn

desert

juniper

morning

morning light

mountains

red rock

red rock country

red rocks

sandstone

sunrise « less

Sets appears in: • Colorado Plateau • Crepuscular Light more » • Desert • Personal Favorites « less

Groups appears in: • Utah Landscapes • U.S. National Parks more » • Mountains • The Cloud Appreciation Society • The American Southwest • Landscape photography • The Southwest United States • Nature Photography • Landscape Exploration • National Parks, Monuments and Historical Sites • Red Rock Country • The Nature Conservancy • Landscapes!!! • Clouds, Storms, Sunsets & Sunrises • Colorado Plateau • Landscape Beauty ! • ☆The Power Of Now ☆ • Un-enhanced American West • ☯ la quinta essenza ☯ • **Optical Excellence Level 1 ~ Admin Moderated • * Sunsets & Sunrises * NOT B&W Photos • CIELOS Y NUBES, SKIES AND CLOUDS • Colorado - Arizona - Utah Landscapes « less

Camera: Nikon D750, f/11.0, 0.4 sec, 70mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D750
Lens:	24.0-120.0 mm f/4.0
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.4
Focal Length:	70mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Scene Capture Type:	Landscape
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 7.0 (Macintosh)
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