Join the conversation
Subcribe to comment rss feedBirgit Potthoff chooses one of her favourite images
Birgit Potthoff
In nature, Birgit Potthoff finds peace and quiet to discover her subjects. As an architect, she sees the camera as a tool for discovering structures and forms.
Looking through a special lens, she feels like an explorer of new worlds, into a realm invisible to the naked eye.
Her extreme close-ups immerse her in a miniature world with seemingly endless motif variations. She calls these landscapes "IceScapes." Abstract-looking detailed shots leave room for individual interpretation. The viewer finds a resonant space for their own feelings. The interplay of temperature and light has a direct impact on her images.
It's a great honor for me to have been asked by On Landscape to write an End-Frame article. I didn't have to think long about which photographer to choose. Theo Bosboom is one of the most well-known nature photographers. I've known him for many years.
Theo is constantly developing long-term projects. He travels long distances and conducts intensive research into unknown locations, which he visits repeatedly. For Theo, it's a given not to disclose his locations to protect the environment. It's certainly difficult for a Dutch nature photographer living in a densely populated country to find untouched nature. He doesn't leave the European continent when looking for subjects. In this way, he wants to protect both the climate and the flora and fauna. Despite the decline in nature, he continues to find topics that are important to him.
It's difficult to bring a picture by "Theo Bosboom" to the attention of a very knowledgeable audience. Nevertheless, I chose a relatively unknown work so that I could formulate my own thoughts without being influenced.
"Mussels in the Sand" fits perfectly with his observation of limpets, goosebumps, and barnacles. Focusing on mussels, which are very familiar to all of us, is certainly a challenge.
At first, I wondered why Theo gave his picture a relatively simple, almost banal-sounding title. Without ever having seen the picture, the name sounds rather sober, and I'm amazed that he pays attention to mussels that are "a dime a dozen." I've looked at this picture several times and now understand why I was so captivated by it, and what makes mussel formations so special.
The picture appears like a puzzle with many pieces, because the individual, vertically arranged mussels all have a fixed place in the composition. They sorted themselves out in a sense in their arrangement. In the center of the picture stands a large mussel, enclosed in an almost circular shape by countless similar mussels. The mussels outside this catchment area turn away from the center and seem to be seeking a new arrangement. The initially rigid formation, with defined spacing, appears to be in motion. The abstract image with a vertical view of the scene is thus a snapshot, a special situation that does not repeat itself. With the next wave, or at the latest after the next tide, the colorful stones are rearranged and sorted again due to the strong current.
Viewers familiar with Theo's puzzle-like paintings will recognize his view of the world. They always find order with different natural materials. Often these are leaves, stones, or, as in this example, clusters of mussels.
The strong contrast between the black and blue mussels and the light, partly transparent stones makes the eye jump between the shells. The dark color of the colonies contrasts with the orange sand bed.
Tidal currents dominate the habitat of mussels along the coasts of Portugal. To survive in these regions and avoid being washed out to sea, mussels possess a kind of "superglue." With this adhesive, the mussel can adhere to almost any surface.
With this image, the photographer managed to bring the mussel back into my focus and allow me to examine its life form more closely. Mussels, which are at home in many waters and are sometimes viewed as a burden, are taking on a new meaning. They are therefore no longer a nuisance, spreading species or a food source. Mussels are now shimmering and colorful objects of nature's art.
In this image, Theo doesn't focus on spectacular natural phenomena, but rather captures the special things that any viewer could normally see. He manages to amaze by focusing on the extraordinary nature of an ordinary shell. With this image, Theo opens up new perspectives on our increasingly neglected natural world and encourages us to pause and be curious.
Do you have a favourite image that you would like to write an end frame on? We are always keen to get submissions, so please get in touch to discuss your idea.