Shawn Heinrichs style reference and prompts

The underwater photographic look separates a warm, clouded upper band from a much larger cool blue volume. Low sunbeams pass through a wavering boundary and narrow as they descend, leaving deep cobalt shadow beneath. Large smooth silhouettes carry soft specular edges, while suspended haze and particulate texture reveal distance without clutter. A small dark accent near the upper interval gives scale to the open lower field. The frame relies on broad negative space, restrained surface detail, and a strong warm-cool division. Light remains physically directional, and the transition from air to water changes its color and strength. The overall effect is spacious, serene, and awe-filled, with atmospheric depth doing more work than dense detail.

This is a square, split-level ocean photograph of a large manta ray swimming beneath a small boat at sunset. The waterline runs across the upper third, separating a dramatic violet-orange sky from a broad dark blue underwater view. Near the horizon at center-right, a narrow boat carries two silhouetted people, their small scale emphasizing the width of the sea below them. The sun sits low behind broken clouds, sending warm light across the rippled surface and pale rays diagonally down through the water. The manta ray occupies the lower left and center foreground, its wide winglike fins curving outward and its pale underside turning toward the camera. Dark upper surfaces and smooth rounded contours catch narrow blue highlights, while the body fades toward the surrounding deep water. The open right side is mostly empty blue, giving the animal room to move across the frame. Subtle particulate haze and faint underwater texture soften the distance beneath the boat. The water surface above is almost opaque in shadow except where sunset light breaks through, creating a clear boundary between warm sky and cool depth. A small patch of lighter seafloor or dispersed texture appears toward the lower edge, but no coral or other animals are clearly resolved. The scene is lit primarily by the low sun, with warm rays thinning as they descend and darker cobalt shade pooling below. No text is visible. The overall composition feels expansive and contemplative, linking a tiny human presence above with a graceful marine form moving through luminous blue space.