I was taking some images of geological formations at California’s Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, when a pair of middle-aged French women stopped and asked me what I was photographing. I pointed to the some boulders embedded in what a reserve docent said was originally a prehistoric submarine landslide.
Rather than try to repeat what the docent had told me, I asked them what they thought they were. After some lengthy discussions between themselves - in animated French which I did not understand - they replied with great sincerity, “we believe they are the fossilized remains of giant sea urchins”.
Which to me sounded a lot more exciting than “prehistoric submarine landslide”.
Cheers,
Franz Gisin
Feedback Requests
What do you think? Submarine landslide? Or fossilized remains of giant sea urchins?
Franz: This is a very cool scene and a fine find. I would be sorely tempted to crop away the BG ocean. It does give it a sense of place but doesn’t do much to enhance the image and filling the frame with the formations would give it a bit more abstract appearance and still convey the sea shore. Your capture of the urchins is top notch. >=))>
I agree, cropping out the Pacific Ocean is also an excellent choice. Does make it much more of a curiosity-inspired abstract image.
However, I kept it in this image because of the reference in the caption to it being part of a submarine landslide, in which case the ocean’s proximity (and reference to sea urchins) adds a bit of supporting context.
Franz, I’m thinking about crop circles in stone and chuckling. Those swirly patterns in the central rocks are very striking and have me wondering, “How/What?”.
