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The "Burn" in Winter
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The "Burn" in Winter

by Genny K.

Gallery: LandscapePosted March 5, 20172,556 views7 comments
We have quite a few forest fires here in some summers, and the area is typically referred to as the " ________  burn" with the descriptive location name filling in the blank. The Interior, in particular, has some huge areas that are burned by forest fires.
This is a photo of some burned trees where the fire went through rather quickly.  These are fairly small trees, and the fire did not burn the whole trees, but just burned the small branches off and killed the trees. In the background you can see some spruce trees that still have burned branches on them. The fallen trees lying at angles to those still standing make a stark image.

5DmkII, 24-105 L at 60 mm, ISO 800, f/18, 1/100 sec

See the larger version

Comments and critiques always welcome!

Comments

7 comments
Comment posted by Harley Goldman on March 5, 2017 at 7:16 AM
This is really nice! I love the abstract quality of the lines and the high contrast presentation creates quite a mood. Excellent job at taming the chaos. 
Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments
Comment posted by gary phillips on March 5, 2017 at 2:10 PM
Chaotic for sure, Genny.  But I really like this.  I spent quite a few years cutting small timber, building fences, etc.  It also reminds me of Yellowstone, and the remnants of the fires in'88.  I like this as presented, but also like some or all of the sky cropped.  
Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments
Comment posted by Nick Bristol on March 5, 2017 at 2:10 PM
I like this too, Genny. Like Harley I like the graphic abstract look and the feel of the high contrast. Very nice work on the composition which I'm sure wasn't so easy to come up with. Very cool shot!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI.
Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments
Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on March 5, 2017 at 4:05 PM
This is quite abstract to me. I like the leaning trees in counterpoint to the vertical trunks. The snow has nice tonality, and I like the deep blacks. Cropping the sky gives a totally different feel. Personally, I like this the way it is.
--P
Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments
Comment posted by Lon Overacker on March 6, 2017 at 12:35 PM
Genny,

I'm gonna go against the grain a little and say that this isn't striking me as much.  I do like the graphic nature of this and especially the diagonal lines of the few fallen/leaning trunks. I think the hard time I'm having is that all the black trunks are merging so much that it takes away from the overall impression.

I do think Preston's suggestion of cropping the sky works as an alternate view.

Lon
Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments
Comment posted by John Williams on March 6, 2017 at 1:44 PM
My eye is fighting with itself over the mix of vertical and diagonal lines too. I do like the austere, almost BW, of the image, but slightly less chaotic would be more attractive to my eye.
Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments
Comment posted by Genny K. on March 7, 2017 at 9:39 PM
Thanks for the comments, everyone.  For me, sometimes I like this and sometimes I don't.  I almost have to be in the right mood to like it, but this really is a true depiction of what that place looks like.  
Registered on June 5, 2006, 132 Posts, 2001 Comments