Traces towards the horizon by Lex Schulte

A tranquil evening on the German mudflats, where sky and water slowly merge into one another. The warm gold of the setting sun is reflected in the wet mudflats, whilst the dark hues of the landscape provide depth and contrast.
In the foreground, a series of footprints winds through the mud, like a trail inviting you to follow it into the vast landscape. The combination of the endless horizon, the mirror-like water and the dramatic light gives the photograph a tranquil, almost meditative atmosphere.
An image of the Wadden Sea at its most beautiful: raw, still and constantly in motion to the rhythm of the tides.
This photograph was taken at Dorum-Neufeld, on the German North Sea coast in the state of Lower Saxony. This is where the vast Wadden Sea landscape of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea lies, part of the UNESCO Wadden Sea World Heritage Site.
At low tide, the North Sea recedes by kilometres, revealing a unique landscape of mudflats, channels and sandbanks. The area is constantly changing under the influence of wind, water and the tides. It is precisely during the hours around sunrise and sunset that the light is often at its most beautiful, with the shallow water and the wet mudflats reflecting the colours of the sky.
Dorum-Neufeld lies on the coast between Cuxhaven and Bremerhaven and serves as a gateway to this special part of the Wadden Sea. It is a place where the vastness of the landscape and the dynamism of the North Sea can be felt very keenly.