high tide

story behind the photo

I photographed High Tide while on assignment at South Padre Island National Seashore, standing at the edge of the Gulf as the tide pushed steadily inland. Thick bands of seaweed were being pulled and released by each wave, and I knew immediately this was not a moment for a fast shutter. I slowed the exposure to let the water do the work, allowing the movement to blur and flow while the shoreline anchored the frame. I am always drawn to motion in landscapes. Most often, I use slower shutter speeds with clouds or weather, but here the energy came from the water itself. The seaweed became a brushstroke, the tide a rhythm, and the shoreline a place where order and chaos meet. That sense of movement is what gives the image life, turning a simple shoreline into something more visceral and alive.High Tide is less about the ocean as a subject and more about the feeling of standing still while everything else moves around you. It is a study of motion, time, and the quiet power of nature, captured along the Texas coast where the land is always negotiating with the sea.

PRINT PROCESS & AVAILABILITY

High Tide is offered as a carbon transfer print, one of the oldest and most archival photographic printing processes. Carbon transfer prints are created using handmade pigmented tissue, transferred in multiple stages onto fine art paper. The result is an image with exceptional tonal depth, rich blacks, and a subtle surface texture that gives the photograph a physical presence unmatched by modern printing methods. This process is extremely labor intensive and requires complete control at every step. Each print is made by hand, one at a time, ensuring that no two prints are exactly alike. Carbon transfer prints are valued for their permanence, with pigments that are among the most stable in photographic history, making them highly sought after by collectors and museums. This image is offered in a limited edition of three, printed at 16 x 20 inches. Each print is signed, titled, and numbered by the artist. Once the edition is complete, no additional carbon transfer prints of High Tide will be produced.