At first glance, these beachgoers gathering near the water’s edge seem to be enjoying a sunset. But a closer look says otherwise.
The man closest to us looks at his cell phone and kicks a spout of backlighted sand into the air with his foot. That flying, glowing sand becomes the focal point of the entire image. He seems frustrated by what he sees on the screen he holds in his hand. His frustration triggers an incongruous moment, and I strengthen the point of the picture by converting it from the brilliant colors of sunset to a simple black and white abstraction. In vivid color, the sunset reflecting on the water draws attention away from the spout of flying sand. In black and white, the sunset is neutralized, and the flying sand, which is the point of my picture, takes precedence.