Soft Edges

I began this body of work by accident during the 2004 hurricane season.  Central Florida (my home) had been hit by three hurricanes in  less than two months and needless to say everyone, including myself, was a bit weary and fatigued.  I decided to pay the coast a visit after the third storm passed over us and although the damage and beach erosion were evident,  the sea was disarmingly calm and peaceful and it was hard to imagine the fury and havoc that took place only a few weeks earlier.

It was late afternoon and the sun had already set and as I walked along the beach, the light and color went through its always amazing transformation.  I was looking out onto the ocean away from the sunset and found the muted pastel colors incredibly beautiful.  I wanted to take a few photos but there wasn't enough light for me to hold the camera steady and I didn't have a tripod with me.  I decided to shoot anyway and since I knew the photos would be blurry, I elected not to fight it and intentionally panned and moved the camera with the shutter opened.  I made a half dozen or so photos like this and didn't think too much of it at the time.

The photos from that day were taken with a digital SLR camera and I later "tweaked" the contrast and made color corrections in Photoshop.  I was immediately and pleasantly surprised.  The colors blended together without any discernable edges (hence, "Soft Edges").  Not only had the surf and waves smoothed themselves over like a typical long exposure from a steady tripod, but the sand and beach and sky were all affected in a similar way.  

That day at the beach was my first attempt at "impressionistic photography" and the work included in this gallery is my first year working in this style.  It is a major deviation from the traditional street and documentary photography I had done in the past.  But, I suppose it more closely reflects how I often see the world - not always so clear, but I find comfort in its ambiguities.