Once again, I have an image I like that never found a home in a body of work or print edition. I did use it as a small mailer promo for Custom Digital for a while, as it really shows off the process. This was made in my old studio in the Bemis Building in south Seattle, in 2005. The background is the lovely old wooden slat floor of the old manufacturing building. I ran across something about these animals that rekindled a fascination from my childhood. Though not local, you often see dried ones in the kind of shops that sold bit’s of corral, unusual sea shells, rocks, etc.. I think I had a tiny one back then. In searching about them, it turns out they are very fascinating creatures, are in fact exploited not only for bait, but for the unique quality of their blood, containing a chemical useful in medicine. I found some from a beach shop in Florida that advertised them and other collectables on Ebay, and ordered a few to photograph. Being very delicate, most arrived broken, including the largest, but this beauty survived. They are fascinating from the bottom as well, surely inspiration for H. R. Giger’s xenomorph in Alien, in it’s facehugger stage, but that would be a very different feeling image. The gorgeous nearly hemispherical top shell takes light beautifully.

I find them amazing in function and appearance, and evidence of the infinite variety of life on earth.

This was placed on the floor, some time spent on lighting with 4×5 polaroid, and then 5×7 B&W film was exposed, later drum scanned. I wish I still had the polaroids. This one’s a few days late, as I started a poll on Facebook for image selection, so it may remain available through November as well. Please feel free to take part in the monthly polls on this page, I’m grateful for all input.

 

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