Mark Kriedemann, Australian Fangorn (ENTRIES CLOSED - March theme: The Great Outdoors)

While visiting the hills and mountains around the Scenic Rim above the Gold Coast, I was instantly attracted to this scene. As a Lord of the Rings fan, the ancient feeling of these Antarctic Beech trees were strongly reminiscent of how Tolkien (the author) described The Old Forest (formally known as Fangorn Forest). After 5 minutes of trying to find a composition, I realised the trees were simply too expansive and chaotic for my skill level when trying to get a wide shot. I therefore focused on a more intimate landscaper approach by focusing instead on the part of the trees that I found most interesting: the thick moss-covered trunks. Heavy mist on the summer morning meant that I had lovely diffuse light to reveal the finer details of the landscape. Yet, the light was also strong enough to allow the use of shadows; bringing attention to the powerful presence of the trunks. I used a battered but trusty Nikon z7ii with an equally battered Z 24-70 f/2.8s to create the image.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.