I've been really inspired by people that do low poly work--people like Timothy J. Reynolds, who turn the 3D scene into something incredibly graphic and illustrative. After doing lighting that was pushing towards realism, I wanted to try my hand at something less detailed, but no less rich.
I just started with some mountains, a field, and a tree. I turned the tree red to make it the focal point.
I shifted the shadow to come into the center of the compositions because it felt more unifying, and I got better lighting on the tree overall.
My final color-corrected image.