Karen Hutton’s Landscape Challenge

Karen asked for entries depicting movement and story. This is the image that she felt answered that call perfectly

“Hunting Island State Park is part of the South Carolina State Park system. I traveled there with my husband while we were visiting the town of Beaufort,” explained Carrie Hanrahan about her winning image.

“I specifically set out to make images that morning of the boneyard beach, which includes the remains of coastal trees that have succumbed to the ocean. I knew that getting up before dawn for the short hike to the beach and setting up in the darkness would provide me with an incredible sunrise to work with.

“For me, this picture tells many stories,” she continued. “I was moved by the fact that even though the tree has been overtaken by the ocean surf, it still provides a resting spot for the island birds. I also loved the loan silhouette against the amazing color of the rising sun within the frothy surf.

“The colors in the photo are mostly as I witnessed them. I did a little post-processing to what I consider the standard stuff – exposure, shadows, contrast, clarity – then finished with a slight boost to vibrance and a subtle vignette.

Commenting on Carrie’s image, Karen said: “I chose this as my winner for the story it tells – and the way my attention kept being drawn back to it over and again. I loved the color palette, the movement and architecture of this image; those two birds on the limb added a main character and a personal connection to the overall tale. I didn’t see them at first – and I enjoyed the sense of discovery! I found the way it drew me in is soothing, thoughtful and delightful. The image feels complete and I enjoyed spending time in the world it created.”