Since my last shell post, I’ve acquired five more shells, all tritons, in varying stages of growth and decay. I decided to photograph them on and in my beach studio, the flood wrack construction where I hang my towel for the morning swim.

Once I’m in my studio I  feel obliged to experiment, rather than merely document and exult. I’ve taken advice from Sue’s guest post for Paula about negative space – “the space in your image that does not contain your main subject. It might be clear space with no detail or almost none, perhaps predominantly black or white, or it might be a blurred background that contrasts with your (in focus) subject. Negative space is perhaps the single most important aspect that helps the subject in your work – the element of interest – stand out and attract the viewer’s attention.” I asked her for ideas about photographing my tritons and she suggested capturing them from below.  The flotsam towel rack offered me plenty of opportunities.

    

  
  

 I was on a roll so I explored other perching possibilities and of course reverted to my passion for closeups and sand.