What Does Kelp Look Like Flat?

Pressed seaweed with a bit of backlighting gives us an idea of what kelp looks like when it's been flattened out. Pressing and drying kelp takes a lot more pressure than I thought, as the plants are thick and rubbery. I didn't manage to make them completely flat in my endeavors, but the process did allow me to take these images.

These seaweed specimens were taken from a beach on Vancouver Island, then pressed and dried between paper sheets before being photographed backlit on a light table. These represent just a few of the amazing varieties on the West Coast, which has an estimated 700 different species.

The jewel-toned seaweed specimens look magical in the light but less so when soggy on the beach. When pressing these specimens the smell was very pungent and, rather than drying completely, they ended up adding mold to the paper sheets. The end result, however, was semi-flat seaweed that photographed beautifully.