Interesting Photo of the Day: Tide Pool, Meet Outer Space

When captured correctly, reflections in water or glass can provide visual artists with some truly incredible photographic perspectives. For example, this image of a woman’s silhouette reflected in an oceanic tide pool, which was created by Miguel Gusto in Palos Verdes, California, infuses the composition with an aesthetic similar to that of outer space:

cosmic tide pool ocean sea water reflection outer space universe planets asteroid galaxy

“Cosmic Tide Pool” by Miguel Gusto (Via Imgur. Click to see full size.)

Yes, Gusto did flip the image 180 degrees to depict the woman’s refection as if it were right side up. Subverting reality in this way gives the photo that familiar yet otherworldly vibe that we naturally attribute to outer space. Viewed upside down, the partially-submerged beach rocks are floating asteroids or planets, and the swirls of sand silt and foam are star clusters or galaxies.

When asked about “Cosmic Tide Pool”, Gusto provided the following insights:

“It’s my girlfriend’s reflection. She has her hand up shading her eyes or something, so it looks like she could be taking the picture… flip it back and it [just] looks like a tide pool.”

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