Theo Bosboom's Image

Theo discovered this collection of algae in a small rock pool on an exposed beach. Experimenting with different focal lengths, and using a polarising filter to avoid reflections, he waited for calm waters before he captured this simple, subtle composition. For Theo, the image shows ‘the simple beauty of structures and patterns created by nature’.

Wracks are a type of marine alga that contain a series of spherical air bladders, providing buoyancy. This allows the plant to float nearer to the water’s surface in order to catch stronger rays of sunlight. In areas with turbulent waves, some wracks have developed fewer air bladders so as to reduce buoyancy and therefore protect themselves.