19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
River tableau

This photograph is part of an ongoing series called River Tableaux. If there is something that I love more than being in water, it is looking under water. Just beneath the surface, a completely new world reveals itself. The underwater world is fascinating, mysterious, ever-changing. Rivers, like oceans and seas, offer an unexpected tranquil beauty. Strangely shaped plants waver steadily, tirelessly, embracing the current. Fish, big and small, come and go, alone or in schools. They can move swiftly, or linger and observe. Sun rays can pierce the water, lighting up the riverbed, casting a furtive light, and illuminating the scales of the fish. Dust from the riverbed can rise and blur everything. Colours and hues can dramatically change. The scenery is never the same. This underwater garden and its creatures shape wonder-filled tableaux to which I want to pay tribute.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Roquebrun, Luxembourg
Camera: LEICA X-U (Typ 113)
Copyright: © Francoise Holtzmacher