I named this image quite literally for what it is. It’s a view of the section of river I was exploring on cold Winter’s morning.

I was inspired to take this picture because of the interesting layers that make it up. First, there’s the river itself that looks still and reflective. Then there’s the log that somehow came to rest perfectly horizontally. It points the viewer in the direction the river is flowing.

As we move up we see light-colored, marshy grasses followed by darker, maroon Tamarisk. Then, a taller stand of trees points up to the overcast sky.

The alternating light and dark horizontal color bands work synergistically with the vertical lines of the trees and brush. Sometimes, patterns make the biggest impact on an image.