October Waves is my sixth series of seascapes photographed at the shore of the Atlantic Ocean in Rockaway Beach, Queens, NYC beginning in 1996. My images are minimal interpretations of the sea during all seasons and all times of day. All series share a similar aesthetic, exploring the most basic elements of composition, contrasting light, texture, and form. Several series include the sand at the edge of the shore and the sky…but “October Waves” is about the essence of the waves only. I visited the seashore each day at sunset during the October 2013 hurricane season. The waves were immense and more powerful than usual, and I used a 300mm fixed lens to capture the texture, light and shapes within the water. Shooting at sunset, when the light and atmospheric surroundings are most intense, allows the light to reflect off the water, creating colors and textures within the waves which are not immediately visible to the casual beachgoer; catching the moment the wave reaches its peak, and then including the waves still to come…creating a feeling of the passage of time. All series reflect the central theme of changing light and shifting tides, and invite viewers to connect to their own memories of the universal, timeless quality of the experience at the edge of the sea.
