Limestone, Smokey Sea

Cozumel, Mexico (Artist Statement)

Limestone, Smokey Sea: Cozumel, Mexico (2010) - Fine art photograph of waves crashing on a limestone island, smokey and blurred by a long exposure

The ocean on the East side of this island was unlike the calm, reef-protected Caribbean we had grown used to during our travels through Central America. Great waves crashed on steep limestone beaches – standing knee-deep in the surf, I could feel the powerful water eroding the sand under my feet and pulling me restlessly towards the open sea.

As the day grew dimmer, I was able to make longer and longer exposures of the water as it rolled in and out. I would wait until a large wave broke, then open the shutter while the water channelled down through rough limestone. It was hypnotic – by the time the moon became a bright light over the ocean, I felt like I was breathing in and out with the waves.

I could feel the strong tug of the current even after I left. I felt as though my mind had been pulled into the waves, some part of me trapped in the endless surge and ebb, swirling like some discarded plastic bottle, rolling and seething forever with the sea.

— Limestone, Smokey Sea: Cozumel, Mexico (2010)

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