MMichael Marten, born in London, has been involved in photography since he was a teenager. For his first job he was caption writer at the Camera Press photo agency. And in 1973 he was one of a group who published ‘An Index of Possibilities’, an alternative encyclopedia of ideas. Since 2003, Michael Marten has concentrated on landscape photogrpahy. His first major series was ‘Sea Change’ (2003-2012).

His series ‘Sea Change’, shows and excellent use of diptych (dictionary def:  a painting, especially an altarpiece, on two hinged wooden panels which may be closed like a book), and trptych (dictionary def: a picture or relief carving on three panels, typically hinged together vertically and used as an altarpiece; a set of three associated artistic, literary, or musical works intended to be appreciated together). An example of a diptych in Michael Marten’s work is the image above of the Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall. An example of a trptych is the image below of St Ives, Cornwall.

He explores low vs high tides to see how it changes the landscape. He travelled to different parts of the British coast to photogrpah identical views at high and low tide, six or eighteen hours apart. His photographs revel how the twice daily rhythm of the sea flowing out (ebb) and the sea flowing back in (flood) can dramatically transform the landscape he was photographing