23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Clouds Among the Brush of Joshua Trees Reflected In a Canvas Mirror

In the middle of a sandy desert trail, a framed mirror sits on an easel, positioned directly in front of a sharp-leaved desert plant. The mirror reflects a pristine blue sky filled with puffy, white cumulus clouds, creating the illusion of a painted canvas. The landscape around the setup is dry, scattered with scrub brush, yuccas, and distant mountain ridges under the same clear sky. The visual creates a surreal moment of harmony between nature and art, as though the clouds were placed there just for this frame suspended in time and space.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Joshua Tree, California, United States of America
Copyright: © Lenny Gerard