Prior to taking this picture, I had not visited a zoo in over 30 years. However, my young daughter has me doing many things that I was previously not, so I decided to take introduce her to various animals recently. Ironically, the only shot that I came away taking in a setting full of animals, was this one of a Bengal Fig.
Out of the camera, the shot itself, was quite flat, so I began experimenting with different techniques in post, to present a scene the way I remembered it. In this image, I forcibly showcased the elements which drew my attention to the tree in the first place. The result is one that teeters the boundary of realistic and fantasy, while exhibiting the strength of nature.
This was a single exposure and not a bracketed HDR shot.
