High Tide or Low Tide

When I travel I have two goals, to see as much as possible and take every opportunity to indulge in the culture. Even traveling within the States I'm looking for the local specialty whether it be lighthouses and lobster rolls in New England, southern barbecue and Spanish Moss, or red rock and cactus with the spice and heat of the southwest, and I've always got a few micro breweries I want to check out.

Sarah and I spent a week in the Maldives for our honeymoon on a luxury resort with a small island to itself. I tried 13 new kinds of fruit during our stay, and was lucky to get to explore one of the local Islands. "High Tide or Low Tide" almost remained a secret of the Maldives. During our stay we participated in a number of excursions that would allow us to expand our experience beyond the white sand beaches with turquoise ocean views. There were snorkeling tours, fishing trips, a sunset cruise and at the top of my list was the local island discovery tour.

We were fortunate to experience all of the excursions available to us after a few cancellations due to rain and wind. One of our final days in paradise had a strong breeze but a boat bound for a local village set sail with a seasick prone photographer and his new wife on board.

"High Tide or Low Tide" was taken on the island of Dhangethi in the Maldives. A tour guide led a group of tourists around the village, stopping to tell the stories and provide insight into island life. The majority of the group kept up with the guide, including Sarah, others meandered along stopping to take selfies before catching up with the group, bringing up the rear was me.

I refused to let my camera rest, every corner revealed a bright colored wall or doorway in some state of decay, and me, a sucker for texture, loving every new weathered doorway more than the last. A quarter of the way through the tour I had given up trying to listen and by the half way point all but abandoned the group. My camera was now my guide and it was giving me an extensive tour.

"High Tide or Low Tide" was taken early in the tour. The group had just walked through the islands school and as we funneled out I fixated on the bright red wall outside. A couple selfie stick wielding guests hung around while I drooled over the wall. I've never looked into my obsession with textures but they are magnets for my lens. The mixture of chipping paint, graffiti, and moss packed more character into this wall than an adult cartoon tv show and my eyes were bulging like Roger Rabbit. Then this plant, green leaves providing a perfect contrast to the bubbling red paint, mirrored the shape of a prior coat of green that had found a way to the surface again.

This photograph is one of my favorites of the trip. I'm sure my love for textures will continue to come up, but this shot embodies my impression of Dhangethi. The island was deteriorating much like the entire country with rising sea levels threatening. Trash littered the shores and debris was stacked around town. It felt deserted, the only residents I saw were trying to sell us more souvenirs than we could carry and one woman sweeping in the road. But bright colors covered the town and island pride was all around. The walls carried reminders to vote, celebrations of the countries recent anniversary as an independent nation, and outlines of the beloved whale shark and other marine creatures. It wasn't picturesque like the countless luxury resorts but it was full of beauty one would expect of a tropical island.