Ember at the Shore

About this piece

A vivid orange shell occupies the right side of the frame, its radiating ribs illuminated against pale sand and blurred water. The shallow depth of field sets its intricate surface apart from the soft horizontal bands of the shoreline.

The story

I lowered my camera toward the sand until the shell rose against the pale wash of the sea. From that level, its ridges seemed almost architectural, each one catching a narrow strip of light. I kept the water soft and left room beside the shell for the shore to recede. What held my attention was the contrast: that concentrated orange, so sharply defined, against a world dissolving into silver and beige.