by Kaylee Kurys, ’27
Photography, 2025, Canon 6D Mark II, 75-300 mm lens

Major: Visual Communications

This image serves as a reminder of the National Parks that deserve to be protected. The slope’s curve guides the gaze upward into the majesty of the cliffs, with the tree like a pupil seeing into the soul of the canyon within Zion National Park. A solitary, windswept tree clings to the edge of a sandstone slope, its silhouette stark and resilient against a backdrop of monumental canyon walls. The warm, earthy reds and ochres of the sandstone cliffs rise like cathedral spires, glowing under the clarity of desert sunlight. In the background, light and shadow create a painterly contrast across the vast geological tapestry, with cool blues and purples filling the canyon depths.