The last weekend of summer, we went camping at Second Beach near La Push, WA. It's a magical place, and we got very lucky with the weather. Typically I return home from trips to the coast or the Straits of Juan de Fuca with pockets full of rocks, shells, or sand dollars that end up in boxes on shelves I never look at.

Lately instead of bringing these finds home, I'm trying to capture them in situ, as they are, with a photo. It's not just about documenting the object, but trying to capture the context of the object in its environment -- that's what I really want to remember anyway. It's less about the thing itself than about the moment the tableau made an impression on me, and what that impression was. I think of it as a candid portrait, trying to capture the personality of the thing.

Here are a few attempts... taken with a simple consumer point and shoot, albeit a good one (Fuji F200 EXR).

alien life forms


portrait of a baby kelp


mysterious island #1


mysterious island #2


More photos from the Second Beach trip--not all object portraits--on flickr here.

For now 2D photos are ok. I'm trying some video, but am not happy with the results yet, in terms of being true to the feeling of the scene. I need a mic and a tripod. I look forward to the day when I can shoot (and easily view) high res 3D video footage.