Butterflies, Birds & Wildlife · horizontal

Ember Rising - Orange Koi at the Surface

A bright orange-gold koi with pale, veil-like fins swims up to the surface of dark water, its mouth open. Ripples spread around it in rings, reflecting blue and cream tones, and small bubbles dot the surface. Soft pink and red shapes show faintly in the blue water at lower left.

A collector wants this piece for the glowing orange koi at the very moment it breaks the surface, set against black water and a field of blue. The rings of ripples around its open mouth pull the eye straight to the center. The painterly, brush-stroked finish makes it feel more like a painting than a plain wildlife photograph. Many koi pictures show a fish swimming past, while this one catches the arrival.

Artwork by Omaste Witkowski