ENTRY DESCRIPTION
This image belongs to a secular book of hours ("The Very Modest Hours of La Jolla"), consisting of 24 photographs shot during a single session on a reef in the namesake California town. Designed (and retouched) to create a feeling of calm, each of these "hours" is intended as an aid to meditation, to draw the viewer in, decelerate, and reflect.
Powered by a rhythmic interplay of strong highlights and deep shadows, the composition guides the viewer's eye around the frame. Evoking an alien landscape, this formation is reminiscent of tafoni, or cavernous weathering—but its actual, true nature as defined by a scientific description is not what matters here. This image places the burden of interpretation on the viewer, who must slow down to consider the question within the framework of their own experience.

AUTHOR
An emerging photographer with a background in translation and music, Robert Claus has been exploring drawing, composition, and theater since an early age. Born in Germany, he relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area after graduating from the University of London.

Attending a major retrospective of David Hockney in 2014 inspired him to return to his childhood love of photography. A self-taught artist, he has since studied under Gina Militia, and taken workshops and classes from Ed Kashi, Neal Menschel, and Oleg Savunov (at Stanford), as well as Joel Grimes (remote), among others.

Now looking to gain wider exposure through open calls and other opportunities, he has produced several book-length curated projects that range from abstract still-life compositions to urban exploration. He recently designed Sunset Shrine, a photography-based installation intended to drive awareness for environmental concerns.

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