This summer carried a sense of rebellion. The water still held fear for me, but now it was layered with something else, the unease of the algae bloom. Being in the water, let alone photographing in it, felt slightly taboo. To celebrate it, and the culture around it, felt like a quiet act of defiance. There was an edge to the people I encountered. More brazen, more willing, more deliberate in their movements. Bodies gathered, jumped, climbed out, and returned again, but with a different energy. Less innocence, more intent.

Photographing from the water, I felt both less and more at ease. I understood the rhythm better, how to move, how to hold myself, how to stay present. But I was also aware of my distance. I did not feel entirely welcome by the subjects or the ocean, I did not know. It felt like we had all changed over winter. This work sits in that shift, where fear remains, but is met with something closer to defiance.