Where Water Pauses

About this piece

Mike Gedj frames an orange sea star at the water’s edge, its intricate surface set against granular sand and soft sea foam. Selective focus brings the cream-colored bumps into sharp relief while the shallow water behind them dissolves into muted blue-gray and brown.

The story

I lowered my camera toward the sand until the sea star filled the frame. From that close, its surface seemed almost embroidered, each pale bead catching the light against orange ridges. A thin line of foam reached around the farther arms, softening the boundary between shore and water. I wanted to hold that contrast: the precise texture beneath my lens and the loose, shifting edge of the sea.