Unfinished Business

I visited a local beaver pond recently, looking for purple loosestrife flowers that bloom in wetland areas during August. Unfortunately, it has not been a good year for loosestrife, and I came away disappointed in that regard.

However, there were a number of trees along the edge of the pond where the beavers had halfway chewed through the base of the tree trunks. In doing so they had stripped away the bark on the trees, and exposed some of the wood grain underneath. I like to look for the edges of things in my photography, because the place where things meet can often be interesting. I thought that the contrast in colors and textures here was interesting, and was glad that I was able to photograph it before the beavers finished their work.

Specific Feedback Requested

any critique or comments are welcome

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
Canon 5d Mk4, Canon 70-200mm f4 lens, at 200 mm, ISO 100, 1.3 sec at f16.

I like these type of images. The texture is wonderful.

Agree withn your thinking about edges/borders. This is a great image that at the same time is a very recognizable object and an abstract image. I also liked that you have placed the border in the middle of the image.

The contrast not only in the color, but also in the texture, Ed, is fascinating to me. Great detail. Looks like you’ve got some busy beavers in your area. Nicely done.

Ed, beaver chews come in a variety of interesting shapes and colors. This view works well with the 50:50 split and major color/texture shift. Are you aware that Purple Loosestrife is a non-native invasive, that now appears throughout most of the USA and Canada.

REally enjoying the abstract nature of this one Ed. I could not tell from the thumbnail what this was and even after opening up I knew it was bark but had to read your post before being able to determine what happened to this trunk. I really like the shapes as well as the textures that you captured in the the bark and the chew zone. An interesting capture for sure. Most would have not seen this scene. Well done.

The title is perfect for this image. Contrasts of one type or another, whether it’s color or, as in this image, texture, often work well, and certainly has here.

This looks like a wonderful Plan B IMO, Ed. You may have missed out on the loosestrife flowers, but you came away with this unique abstract. The scene must be viewed in the large version to appreciate all of the wonderful details and textures of the tree bark as well as the beaver chew. Nicely done and great eye to spot this.

So many contrasts Ed: of colors , of lights, of textured geometries against creative designs of the beaver teeths. I love edges and this is a splendid photo.

@Igor_Doncov @Ola_Jovall @linda_mellor @Giuseppe_Guadagno @Ed_Lowe @David_Haynes @DeanRoyer @Mark_Seaver @linda_mellor

thank you all for taking the time to comment on my image, I do appreciate hearing your thoughts

Mark, yes I am aware purple loosestrife is an invasive species (from Sweden I believe, thanks Ola :grin:)

But where I live it is one of the few splashes of color during late summer that isn’t green, green, or green. So despite being an invasive species, I still seek it out.

During the pandemic, I have stuck close to home, and visited off the beaten track locations to avoid people. While this has significantly reduced my opportunities to shoot grand landscapes in golden hour light, it has given me more appreciation of finding subtle things that I might have walked right by in the past.

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