Week 36 - Ebb Tide
Ebb Tide
Due to the sheer volume of photography on social media, our minds cannot keep up with our eyes. We could slow down, but by definition, the word streaming does not suggest that is going to happen. One of the rewards of printed photos is that we can study a scene's nuances.
I was inclined to exclude this photo because the 'streaming' side of my mind labeled it too similar to another ocean image in this series (Week #25, Ripples). However, the 'print' side of my mind looked deeper.
Typically it is something visual that we respond to, not necessarily meaningful. For example, as the water receded, the soft gradations in tone and texture drew my attention. The symmetry of the ocean and the resulting curve of the light in the sand had peaceful energy.
One of my favorite photographers, Keith Carter, says, "take the picture; you have the rest of your life to figure out what it's about." But, of course, that takes more than a glance.
Beyond that glance, I realized that the two images essentially bookend the summer, eleven weeks apart. The former image is brighter, and there is life in the presence of the birds. Here though, the ocean, like the summer, is receding.
f8 1/250 sec ISO 200 September 10, 2022
