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Phil Lewenthal
Since retiring, I have found long exposure photography along California's Sonoma coast to be an endlessly absorbing practice. The dance/battle of the water and rocky coastline creates a kind of light that never ceases to surprise me. I hope that others can find some inspiration here.
Since 2018 I have spent much time walking the rocky coastal bluff trails at Sea Ranch, California and other parts of Sonoma county. While I’ve had a photographic practice for many years, during this time I became fascinated with the movement of water over the offshore formations and the way long exposure images allowed the ocean foam to illuminate the spaces between rocks, as if they were lit from within.
During the pandemic, the tiny sea palm plants that grow on these offshore rocks became a kind of muse. I longed for their flexibility and resilience as they endured and, indeed, seemed to thrive in the pounding surf.
The long exposure, for me, creates a kind of time travel that brings to mind both eternity and my own mortality. The use of the long lens toys with scale and place, creating a space for the viewer’s imagination.
