45 layers, 0 gradient maps, 0 C4D's. Focused a lot on color and lighting. Without Text With Text stock
I love the text, but i think it shoulw be moved so that it isnt blocking the tree. Dont want to clutter the focal, right? Nice job with the lighting though, the effect one all 45 layers turned out to work really good. (laugh at the irony of ME saying that...)
The dust is way too intense in places where it shouldn't be. The light is bouncing off the dust in the path of that godray thingy, but not in the shadow, so we shouldn't be able to see that dust nearly as much. Also, the cliff is obviously 'shopped. I rather enjoy the lighting though, I'd just say tighten up the edges, because it looks like little bits of background are fighting for survival on the edges of a lot of things.
Overall, really, I think this is very well done. Colors are beautiful and the lighting is very well done. My only small concern is the transparent border that meets the black border. I would remove that. But really, once again, overall great job.
Yeah really good job on the overall feel to it, the change from light to dark is a bit sudden and therefore loses some of its realism but I see what you were going for. I prefer the text version, great job MLO!