Location: Davenport, CA, USA
On a secluded beach I came across a rusty old metal ladder that had washed up on the rocks.  Late in the day, at low tide, I stood the ladder up by burying it partially in the sand in front of a large seamount.  After sunset I began making exposures, lighting the ladder piece by piece with a flashlight.  Waves periodically rushed in and knocked the ladder over, forcing me to stand it back up again.  I made about eight exposures until the light was completely gone from the sky, then changed lenses and focused on the moon, placing it in the upper right corner of the frame and double-exposing each of the negatives that I had already shot.  From the set of images I made, I chose this one, because I liked the fact that I had “missed” lighting one portion of the ladder with my flashlight.  The title refers to the Biblical story of Jacob and his failed attempt to build a ladder to reach heaven, which I see as an interesting allegory to the human race’s futile attempt to master nature through technological advance.