Before the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, a quarter moon ushered in a cool breeze and the promise of a clear night.
A cairn stands as a marker in this remote area of the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, to show travelers they are on the right path.
For all the evergreen, aspen, and moss in this image, the subject is a dead bristlecone pine which reflects the beauty of life returning to the earth as a once ancient tree that grew within these moss covered stones.
A single exposure is easily given the addition of a high dynamic range (HDR) effect in HDR Efex Pro. The small moutaintops reflect the remaining light before sunset across this expansive desert reservation of the Tohono O'odham, Arizona.
Alpine landscapes with ancient Bristlecones.
See photo in original gallery.