During a predawn beachcombing expedition along Cape Hatteras National Seashore I found this large chunk of coral.  It measured probably twelve inches wide and weighed as much as a bowling ball.  It was still dark when I dug it out of the wet, loosely packed shell hash it had buried into.  Frankly, I had no idea what to do with it, but I knew I wanted to photograph it.  So, I tossed it into a cloth bag and preceeded to carry the damn thing around the beach for the rest of the morning and several trips thereafter trying to figure out what to do with it!

I used the coral as a backdrop for photographing other found treasures:  shells, sea glass etc.  Eventually, I simply tossed the coral into the incoming surf and began to work straightforward frames of the Atlantic Ocean and the coral interacting.  I knew this wasn’t going to be a portfolio-type photograph admired by my peers.  I did, however, imagine that this type of frame would ignite the passions of those who enjoy adventure and discovery along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  And, perhaps in the future, this type of frame would sit beautifully in a coffee table book depicting my outdoor experience in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

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

Date taken:  January 11, 2019
Settings:  f14, 1/20 second, iso-50