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A gigantic water puddle draws birds to the Barber's Point sand quarry.

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The allure of mud

JIM Young has captured the vibrancy of life in the unlikeliest of subjects: dried mud puddles. Who would imagine that cracked earth could possess such character? Young proves that it can and does, in close-up shots taken over two weekends at the sand quarry at Barber's Point after a series of big rains.

"I'm fascinated by patterns, and I like close-up abstract photography," says the retired Hawaiian Electric engineer in explaining the allure of mud. "Even though the mud puddles were all from the same place, they dried in different patterns and colors. Some of them look like they're from somewhere in a canyon. It fascinated me."

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Bird tracks are imprinted on dried mud.

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Shoots grow between cracks in the earth as life continues on at the quarry.