Ravaged by the Waves

Jack Pettigrew
11th Grade
San Francisco University High School
Ravaged by the Waves
Photograph
17" x 22"
2023
Original $200

Print $150

My name is Jack Pettigrew and I am a student at University High School. I believe photos capture one moment in time, leaving the viewer to wonder about the rest of the story.  As a story-teller, I am often interested in the tension between nature and people. This scene struck me while out walking around Point Reyes, National Seashore. There is a rugged beauty to the area: the boat, while hauntingly beautiful, is a product of what mother nature’s wrath can do. And yet, the whole scene was so peaceful and dream-like because of the heavy clouds surrounding it. During post production, I tried to highlight the essence of that tension.  The clouds on the left of the boat show a blue tint, and to the right, a yellow-gold tint. I wanted to draw the colors out through editing to emphasize the serenity and isolation the viewer experiences. The blues are meant to represent the sad part of the story, the brutality of nature, and the forgottenness of the boat. The yellows are meant to capture the happy side of the story, the peacefulness of the scene, and the shockingly beautiful contrast between the natural landscape and manmade boat.