Keshav Chandrasekaran , Holding Ground (MINIMALISM - Entries close 31 July 2026)

Captured during a rainstorm in Central Australia, this image explores the idea of resilience through simplicity. Rather than focusing on dramatic weather or sweeping landscapes, I was drawn to a lone tree standing against an expansive sky. The large negative space and subdued tones helped simplify the scene, allowing the tree to become a quiet focal point within the landscape. I composed the image to emphasise scale and isolation, using the vast sky to convey both vulnerability and endurance. The muted palette created by the rain and fading light contributed to the minimalist aesthetic, while the surrounding vegetation provided context without distracting from the central subject. The photograph was captured handheld using a Canon EOS RP with an RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM lens at 35mm, 1/50 sec, f/10 and ISO 800. Post-processing in Adobe Lightroom was intentionally restrained, consisting of minor exposure adjustments, tonal balancing, subtle contrast refinement and cropping to strengthen the composition while preserving the atmosphere of the approaching storm.

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