Heroes Not Zombies

I have a number of photos of this type. You could say they are photos of the sea. You could say “there’s nothing in them”! (But I’d disagree). You could say they are photos of light.

For me this is a photo of three elements – water (obviously), fire (the Sun’s light reflected on the water), and air (the pale white sky). There might even be a hint of the fourth element, earth (just beyond the upper band of light…..is that land I can see?)

But primarily, I see this as a photo of light. I’m not sure why there are two parallel bands of white light, one in the foreground and the other almost on the horizon. I think that’s odd. Why aren’t there more reflections? Are there just two gaps in a cloudy sky letting the sunlight through to create these two narrow strips? I don’t know, and I don’t remember what the sky was like.

I know the sea can show us a rich palette of colours but I really like how, in this image, both the sea and the sky appear monochrome. This isn’t a photo shot in black and white, but the brightness of the light has bleached out all the colours.

Ultimately this image says to me – illumination – and that’s a favourite word of mine. I like to understand. I like to see things clearly. I like it when suddenly, in the middle of someone’s story, I gain insight into their unique, and personal life.

But, more simply, perhaps, this is just one of those images where I can sit and gaze at it, and lose myself…..slow down and lose my sense of time and place…..absorb myself into the scene and feel the artificial boundaries disappear so that I feel at One with the universe.

Maybe it’ll do the same for you.