19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
‘Sand Void’ Waiwera Beach, New Zealand, Captured on Portra 160 FILM, 2021.

The horizon is slightly angled and one edge of the sand sculpture collapsed. Initially, I corrected these imperfections in photoshop, but upon submitting this piece, I realised that the imperfections so importantly revealed the index of reality and without I couldn’t show any true natural beauty. This unedited authentic quality of FILM photography is precisely what draws me to the medium! Sculpting within natural mechanisms of tide and light, exposed photographic film seemingly works against entropy, creating a space for me to consider the eternal. The sculpture itself speaks of design and order; and the void between us and the sublime, and it is here that I discover glory.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2021
Date Uploaded: 09.2021
Photo Location: New Zealand
Camera: SP-3000
Copyright: © Scott Patience