Profile of a Giant Sequoia in the Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, California. The highlight on this tree has been exaggerated in post-production. The previous afternoon I had photographed some of these gargantuan trees in fairly bright sunlight, and found the compositions too contrasty and displeasing. However, I loved the way the direct sunlight laid down an intense reddish-orange highlight on the strongly sidelit trees and wanted to preserve that highlight without the accompanying harsh contrast of the surrounding forest. Furthermore, the next morning, before the sun peeked over the adjacent ridge, I was moved by the stillness of the forest with it's various shades of green foliage and reddish brown tree trunks. So, I opted to combine the best of both forests to produce this image.