What fascinates me about the sea is the incredible juxtaposition contained within it--the black and white tones, next to the brilliant hues of rich blue and orange. The scene seemed to capture an enormous variety of ocean life in one very small portion of the reef: hard coral, soft coral, leather coral, sponges, and gorgonians, all crowned by a single crinoid dancing amid the surge and the sun.

As I photographed the scene, the image left an indelible memory in my mind of the unique, and often unexpected, beauty of the underwater world. I photographed this scene in the Red Sea.