At the Golden Edge

About this piece

Golden light spreads across wet sand beneath a cloud-laden sky, framing a surfer at the water’s edge. Successive bands of breaking waves lead toward the horizon, setting the small human figure against the breadth and energy of the sea.

The story

I watched the water spread a thin sheet of gold across the sand, then draw it back into the surf. A surfer moved through the shallows with a board tucked beneath one arm, while farther out a wave lifted and broke. I framed the figure low against the wide sea and sky. What held me was that brief meeting of scales: a single step at the shore, and the ocean continuing beyond it.