Moonstruck

Description

This tree is real. It’s amazing that it is still alive after whatever caused the damage to its trunk. Hang this on a wall and be ready to answer a question or two. It doesn’t have to be Halloween season; it works year ‘round. Due to the ominous look of the opening in the trunk, it simply had to be enhanced. The tree is located in the north Albuquerque, NM Alameda Open Space. The base of the tree at ground level is about three feet in diameter.
The image was shot with a wide angle lens aimed upwards, which made the base wider in proportion to the trunk above it. The tree limbs look like flailing arms. Everything in the image was in the photo, except for the moon. The back lighting was begging for a light source, so the ‘ol harvest moon filled the bill. The tie-in to make the moon integrate with the image is the light spill to the left side and behind the tree that matches the color of the moon. The enhancements were made with Photoshop and some legacy Topaz Labs software.