I love working with overlays and textures. This image started out with this concept in mind. Taken early in the morning, just as the sun crested the ocean. I overexposed the image to wipe out any detail in the sky or horizon. That left her side towards me very flatly lit, perfect for multiply overlays.
She is standing on ancient coral reefs. I wanted to include them in the image, and their age works well with concept, but I needed them more of an impression rather than a sharp detailed element. To achieve that I worked with an aperture of F2.8 on a telephoto lens that compressed the elements together.
The sense of an image that has survived unknown years, written on, as was the habit way back then. The framing was selected to give the effect of emulsion spread onto handmade paper. The stains and discoloring to impart the sense of the journey this image has been on. Then the mysterious numbers with the puzzle of what they mean and how they came to be there. All framing this ageless woman.
