Botanist Press Strap Alpine Dawn Light

Midnight blue shadows rest on the rough granite face of a Colorado outcrop as a sweeping beam of lighthouse-like light cuts across the foreground. A leather strap from a botanist's press rests taut against the dark wood of a field station door, cinched tight with metal buckles. The leather shows deep grain and wear from midsummer use. Wind whips loose blades of alpine grass against the stone base, blurring slightly in the pre-dawn stillness. The light catches the silver edge of a buckle while the rest of the station door remains in deep shadow. One dried leaf lies trapped in the crevice between the strap and the wood.