Hi Annie,
Going exploring within a new environment is always good for your art; often we get very complacent within our home environment and so the opportunity to see a different side of the world helps to open our eyes.
In going into new environments you need to take some of the skills that an Aboriginal tracker might take into the bush. You need to be able to see the small details, the marks on the ground or a broken branch of a tree, and know what that can add to greater story that you are trying to tell.
This photograph is a classic example; most other people would look at the photograph, see a large paddock at dawn and then move on. If you look at the ground closely though you can see wheel tracks. Anyone who has ever spent time in the Bush will know that these tracks are part of an otherwise invisible road network, and that water tank and dead tree on the right are one of many subtle landmarks that will help stockmen navigate the otherwise barren land.
There are only two things that I would do to improve this photograph. The first is to give the picture a crop from the top and the bottom; the bottom 10% of the picture is almost too dark to be adding value to the image, while in the sky, you are better off cropping down to the cloud and letting that naturally vignette the picture for you.
Now going back to the signs I mentioned before; if you look carefully in the foreground you can see tire tracks. I would be inclined to gently accentuate those lines in Photoshop by using the Dodge tool (set the Range to Midtones) to make them slightly more obvious to the untrained eye.
If you make these two adjustments I think you'll discover the photograph becomes stronger.
Cheers, Anthony.
Image Doctor's edited version
