Seaside Reflections stays almost entirely with the Pacific surface during the early morning. Rather than using a coastline, mountain or prominent horizon to explain the setting, Lance lets reflected light create the organization. Deep blue and indigo areas meet smaller passages of warmer color as the angle of the water changes relative to the morning sky. At first glance, the composition can appear almost minimal. But the simplicity is deceptive. The approximately 96-million-pixel source file contains fine structure throughout the water: small waves, reflected highlights, shifts in tone and subtle changes in surface direction. That makes physical scale especially useful. From a distance, the photograph reads primarily as broad color and movement. Move toward the print and the water becomes increasingly complex. Seaside Reflections belongs naturally beside Liquid Harmony and Moana's Harmony—works in which Lance lets the ocean itself become subject rather than using it as background for a more recognizable Maui scene.
