Cicada Emerging Shell on Tanzanian Ridge Dawn

Soft, overcast light washes the wind-scoured ridge in Tanzania, turning the morning air into a veil of sea spray. In the immediate foreground, a cicada hangs from its empty, translucent shell. The insect's wet, dark exoskeleton glistens as it pulls free, legs gripping the rough, lichen-spotted bark. Cool season air leaves the surrounding grasses stiff and pale. Fine droplets of moisture rest on the creature's delicate wings, catching the diffuse gray glow. The shell stands rigid against the blurred, gray-green backdrop of the coastal scrub. one drop of clear fluid hangs from the tip of the cicada's abdomen, trembling on the edge of the frame.