TITLE: Seaside Studies

On the beach, our gaze often seeks the vastness: the horizon, the waves, the grand spectacle of sky and sea. Yet the true wonders lie right at our feet – small, silent, and easily overlooked.

Even as a child, I collected countless shells, snail shells, and other things I could find in the sand on vacation beaches. With the onset of my passion for photography, I began photographing these small and large objects.

Shells and snail shells glitter among the grains of sand, each one unique, shaped by time, currents, and chance. No two are alike. Some are as delicate as porcelain, others rough and weathered by salt and sun. They tell stories of depths we have never seen and of the paths they have taken across the seabed to our feet.

These small things don't impose themselves. They don't demand attention. You have to slow down, lower your gaze, take a moment. And therein lies their special beauty: it belongs only to those who are willing to look more closely. I deliberately photographed these objects in a minimalist style.

AUTHOR: Pia Steen (Germany)

I was born in Munich in 1980. I grew up in the beautiful, unspoiled Alpine foothills of the Chiemgau region. Nature has therefore always been an important and significant part of my life.
My passion for photography began early. Even as a young child, photo albums were piled high in my room. With my first digital compact camera and later the switch to a DSLR, my initial enthusiasm blossomed into a true passion.