The sea by Carolyn Molson Français | Español

The sea
divides us
and unites us.

The sea
nourishes
and restores us.

It gives us life
and takes it away.

Our small island was our world. The rest of the world came to us in the form of steam-ships from foreign countries, bringing us salt for our fish. We were connected to them by the sea. . . in many ways the sea became our lifeline.

Today, my vision of the sea is a romantic one. When making my photographs, I am transfixed by its beauty and spend as much time as I possibly can on the shore. Its somewhere I go for contemplation, reflection, inspiration and restoration. This must be a calm, gentle sea. When I feel fragmented, it's a raging sea that puts me back together again.

The sea is many things to different people. It has many moods. When I'm photographing the sea, I have to set aside the realities of hardship, tragedies and losses. It can be cruel and unpredictable. It has such power, and demands our respect always. In any fight, it will win. Therefore, I prefer to be safe on shore, observing from the distance, listening to the waves crashing on the rocks, watching sea birds, breathing it all in, camera in hand, hoping my next shot will be my best.