As a (transplanted) resident of the American west, I find myself at odds with the common romantic perception of nature as pristine and unspoiled.
To me this image speaks of the partial outlook that we have upon the wilderness, while hiding to others, and perhaps to ourselves, the deep rooted problems such as pollution, global warming, or the destruction of the wilderness by ATV's, overgrazing, gas & oil drilling, road building, and in general abuse, mis-use and over-use of a fragile resource (ironically using one of the icons of nature protection --the leaf-- as a way to lure our attention away from the fact that the rainforest is being clear-cut, the redwoods nearly logged to extinction, and acid rain destroying our forests).
From an academic standpoint I can recognize some of the elements of composition --the use of curves and the contrast of colors and texture-- which serve their purpose well in presenting the beauty of this scene to the viewer.
These are tools that the photographer used very skillfully to enhance the beauty and visual elegance of this scene. This however is the “How” that should never supplant the “What” (remember Adams – “there is nothing worse than a brilliant image of a fuzzy concept”). The “what” here is delivered with enormous power – leaves shining with luminosity and chroma, as in a final burst of light and color before they become soil again and join the eternal cycle of life. Stone shaped in sensuous curves, as if to form a sandstone womb in which leaves, and metaphorically the entire organic aspect of nature, are sheltered and nurtured on their way in an out of a beautiful and healthy existence.
An image created with the same deliberate force and precise control over a fleeting opportunity as the very subject it portrays.
---
The above is a paraphrase of Guy Tal’s original answer to Tony's Bonano’s photographs of wild horses. Guy's original response is below, as well as in the original thread in this same forum section:
"As a (transplanted) resident of the American West I find myself at odds with the common romantic perception of cowboys and their ways.
To me this image speaks of the distress, anguish, and humiliation of these beautiful and powerful beasts, subjugated by the arrogance and superior cunning of the human (ironically using one of those same beautiful beasts as a vehicle to imposing his dominion).
From an academic standpoint I can recognize some classic elements of composition (rule of thirds, ratios, symmetry, etc.) which serve their purpose well in creating a visual tension and leading the viewers to specific power points in the frame. These are tools the photographer has used very skillfully to illustrate and enhance the unfolding drama. This, however, is the "how" that should never supplant the "what" (remember Adams - "there is nothing worse than a brilliant image of a fuzzy concept"). The "what" here is delivered with enormous power - tense muscles, anguished expressions, light that almost seems to ebb and flow at the artist's will - an image created with the same deliberate force and precise control over a fleeting opportunity as the very subject it portrays.