Contrast, Balance & Harmony

Simplicity. 

Contrast, Balance & Harmony-

This was a picture my sister took while we were all surfing at the Oregon Coast in 2012. This was the first time any of us had ever gone, so we obviously had to stick to the small waves. Nothing says harmony to me like the ocean. Everything out there seems to be at peace. The harmony of a surfer and waves is something that brings meaning to me. There is harmony and balance with the white crashing waves at my feet, with another layer of ocean, and a second layer of ocean near the sky where the ocean and the sky meet perfectly on the horizon. I love the dark contrast of my wet suit compared to the light and simplistic background of the ocean skyline. The figure just pops out at you. The shadow of sunlight on my face shows the sun was at a mid morning rise, a very peaceful time to be out at sea. This photo has balance internally and externally- with the feeling brought by me actually balancing on the surfboard, while at the same time the image itself has balance with the location of my arms and overall body compared to the ocean. I can feel the texture of the wet suit, not just the physical slippery and shiny condition, but also the frigid cold of the ocean being kept out because of the body heat being trapped within the suit. I selected this photo because of the peaceful simplicity of it, as it's almost a metaphor for how life should be. In the simplest form of surfing, I find a calm within the ocean and life altogether.