I’m far from a landscape photography expert and struggled at Grand Canyon West to create a suitably impressive image. My images were okay but not outstanding. My big challenge was finding a suitable focal point to create that sense of depth.

At one point, I even resorted to using boulders as a foreground focal point. I like the composition of the first picture, but the boulder’s color doesn’t contrast enough with the background and the surrounding area. Still, I like the texture and color.

My second attempt more effectively separates the boulder from the background. The muddy river also creates a modest leading line that emphasizes the depth. Though shot at a 4×3 aspect ratio, the 16×9 crop works better, which reduces the sky.

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