Coastal Tidepools

Tide pool at Point of the Arches, Olympic
National Park, Washington.

Tide pools along the coast are fun to photograph during the day, especially when there isn't much else going on photography-wise.  The colors can be vibrant and well saturated under the right light and conditions.  Those conditions are a cloudy day and low tide.

Tide pools are usually under water - they are only exposed when the tide is unusually low.  Often it teems with life and has much more marine vegetation, especially seaweeds. There is also greater biodiversity. Organisms in this zone do not have to be as well adapted to drying out and temperature extremes. Low tide zone organisms include starfish, abalone, anemones, brown seaweed, crabs, green algae, hydroids, isopods, limpets, and mussels. These creatures can grow to larger sizes because there is more available energy and better water coverage: the water is shallow enough to allow more sunlight for photosynthetic activity, and the salinity is at almost normal levels. This area is also relatively protected from large predators because of the wave action and shallow water.

For photography, a mid-range telephoto lens and polarizer are important tools, as well as a sturdy tripod.  The light should be even if shooting under the expressed conditions, so the task is pretty simple:  Compose a balanced and interesting scene, and go shutter happy!

This image was taken at Point of the Arches near Shi Shi beach in Olympic National Park.  It is one of my favorite tide pools.

This image is on its second go-around with an educational publisher using it in worldwide distribution.  Fun to be a part of the education process!

You can view this and more images in my Washington Coast Gallery if you wish.

As always, thanks for looking!