📷 Fishing Nets at Low Tide — Kerala, India
Fishing Nets at Low Tide
Kerala, India · street
The iconic Chinese fishing nets of the Kerala coast, silhouetted against the water. These centuries-old contraptions still work the tides, a living link to maritime history.
The Chinese fishing nets of Kerala — 'cheena vala' in Malayalam — were supposedly introduced by traders from the court of Kublai Khan in the 14th century. Whether or not that's true, the nets themselves are engineering marvels: massive cantilevered structures that dip into the water on the incoming tide and lift out the catch. It takes a team of six to operate one.
I shot this in black and white because the geometry demanded it. The poles and lines create this incredible lattice against the sky and water — almost like a musical score written across the horizon. The fishermen were taking a break when I arrived, so the nets stood empty, which somehow made them more beautiful. All structure, no function. Architecture for the sea.