The rust on the pilings of the Duck Research Pier fascinates me.  Like many experimental photographs, this frame represents the early exploration of an idea that has yet to fully materialize.  Color, texture, lines…somehow they could all be better arranged to create something with more impact.  I just need more time and more play to figure it out.

That’s what photography is for me:  play.  I know it’s unprofessional to call one’s work, play.  At its best, though, that’s what photography is to me.  When I find an idea behind the lens, I lose all track of time and slip completely into a moment.  I’m rarely clear on the idea from the jump; it’s more like approaching the edges of something.  The visual work of sussing out the idea is made in tiny adjustments:  moving in and out; getting higher or lower; choosing what to include or exclude.

Rust is a reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of a catalyzing agent like water.  The pilings of the Duck Research Pier are encased with elemental iron that has completely corroded to this beautiful orange/red color.  I find the early light of morning and the late light of evening to provide the most flattering opportunities to capture this chemical reaction behind the lens.

Camera:  Nikon D810
Lens:  Nikkor 60mm micro f2.8 @ 60mm
Tripod:  Really Right Stuff TVC-33

Date taken:  January 19, 2019
Settings:  f14, 1/5 second, iso-64