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No, those aren't frost-covered trees. Those are sun-bleached skeletons that suffered 'death by beaver'.
Just driving around Nova Scotia you'll see many such ponds created by beaver dams. They make for lovely reflections, but I do feel sorry for those once vibrant trees, now drowned.
This was a surprisingly calm morning and I'd spied this composition from the highway as I was driving by the previous day.
We got up before dawn and drove back to this beaver pond hoping for some moody reflections.
What I was hoping to avoid turned out to be the secret ingredient that made this shot work. I knew that as soon as the sun got high enough to light the tops of these dead trees there'd be no chance of a good shot.
What I didn't reckon for was that gorgeous warm light reflected in the pond. What you're seeing is the sun kissed mountain above the trees reflected in the pond while the trees themselves sit in the cold shade.
What was meant to be a dark and moody image turned out to be greatly enhanced by contrasting colours.
All too quickly, the sun reached into the valley and this moment of beautiful contrast was over as the trees were fully lit and the scene vanished before my eyes.
I hope to revisit this spot when the ice begins to form and the trees are smothered in frost.
Thanks for reading
Gavin
