Through the Plankton
One photo, a long float, and an unexpected connection
Hi Ya
The photo I’m sharing this week is from a summer dive about two years ago. To say I got obsessed with jellyfish that summer would be an understatement.
I’d often be out for hours, floating at the surface, sometimes diving down 5 or 10 metres. I’d grab hold of some kelp and just watch as the jellyfish drifted by. There’s something mesmerising about them. I know a lot of people are scared of jellyfish, worried about getting stung and fair enough, but I’d still recommend popping on a mask, going for a snorkel, and just losing yourself in their rhythm.
The ocean’s seasons shift with temperature. In midwinter, the water is cold, clear, and sparse. But as the sun returns and the sea warms, it all changes. The water becomes thick with plankton a kind of soup of tiny life, the foundation of everything else.
I almost didn’t share this image. At first, I felt it wasn’t clean or clear enough. Too many specks. Too messy. I think I’d become too used to seeing pristine images of jellyfish in perfect water, but those never quite floated my boat. This image feels more true to life. The abundance, the chaos, it's all part of the story.
That summer I was also experimenting. Shooting with longer lenses, trying techniques that don’t really make sense underwater. It meant a lot of missed shots, but I didn’t mind. For me, underwater photography has always been more about exploring and experimenting than getting the perfect image.
If you read last week’s mail, you’ll know I’ve been working on a series of images for my friend’s osteopathy studio, Tide, in Edinburgh.
This jellyfish shot was one of the first I shared with him. He took one look and said, "That’s got to go in the clinic." We ended up in a conversation about jellyfish, the nervous system, and how they’re not so different both flowing, responding, constantly adjusting.
It’s funny how an image can shift in meaning once it finds a place to live.
I’ll leave it there for this week. Maybe I’ll pick up the thread on the nervous system next time.
Thanks,
Mike
PS
Expect big ideas and small typos. This was sent with a wee smattering of dyslexia, a bit of AI support, and a lot of heart.
PPS
Several people asked if I might be selling some prints of last week‘s photos. Anything shared here is available for that. Please, get in contact, and we can discuss.