The Salt Painter

"There must be something strangely sacred in salt. It is in our tears and in the sea." - Khalil Gibran The importance of this humble compound lies in its versatility - it adds flavour to food, regulates water and mineral balance in the human body and supports a healthy nervous system. Salt can be found in many aspects of life, including cuisine, biology, economics, as well as historical events such as the Salt March. The process of extracting salt from the oceans is largely manual in most places and it fully honours its legacy. Large, shallow pits are carved across the area and pools of sea water are collected in them. The intense tropical heat evaporates the water, leaving behind the precipitated salt which is harvested and sent for further processing. In this photo, a salt worker can be seen toiling in an expansive landscape, patiently and painstakingly harvesting salt from the seawater. It resembles a painter’s palette and is made up of a variety of tones and hues, depicting the various stages of harvest. The black pit for example has been completely harvested. The image is rendered using a post processing technique called Droneception. I believe it adds character to an already intricate image, drawing attention to the salt painter who now seems to be painting using this palette in front of him. An ordinary compound, harvested by an ordinary man but presented from an extraordinary view point.