Toes in the Sand
March 26, 2021
Like many people I am fascinated with watching the waves in the ocean as they come racing toward the shore and then quickly retreat into the shades of blue that get deeper as the ocean reaches the horizon. The motion is mesmerizing. This wind-based tidal movement combined with gravitational pull creates the waves that speak so clearly to the rhythms of life.
As an extension of influences from the wind, it’s seems natural to be intrigued with the patterns that the wind creates in the sand and snow. These patterns have influenced me since a was a young girl playing in Monahans Sandhills State Park in West Texas.
Patterns in the sand, or snow, represent the self-organizational aspect of classic physics in our world atop planet earth. There is something about these patterns that provide comfort and reinforcement, not to mention beauty, in the marvelous connections that bond us.
There are many great nature photographers who have captured the sun on the crest of a sand dune in combination with the dramatic shadows in its wake. Ansel Adams captures this beautifully in his work: Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument, 1948.
I’m always inspired to capture the beauty of the sand, shadows and sky with my camera, as I did in this image of the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
As the days get longer and warmer, I can’t help but long for the sound of the ocean, watching the rhythm of the waves, breathing in the salt air and having my toes in the sand. Even though nature ultimately inspired this image, I had to laugh when I looked at the bottom of my flip flops one day and saw the pattern of waves in the sand. I couldn’t wait to create Toes in the Sand. Thanks to Reef for inspiring the vision of beauty and longing for the ocean.
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