In preference

This rock groyne (one of many built to reduce longshore drift), has been a starting point for my seascape photography this winter. Providing foreground interest and texture, it has featured in a lot of the images I've produced during the season.

Today there's a weak sky, so I use the feature as the main subject. I liked the original colour shot, but came to prefer the monochrome conversion.

© 2025

 

Painted ladies

At this time of year I find the beach to be almost irresistible when there's the promise of good light at sunrise. All that drama - and so early in the day - draws me in time and time again.

Today, the light is great, but the sky not so. I'm determined not to waste the glorious conditions, and look for an alternative subject. The brightly painted beach huts in front of Boscombe Spa Village provide just that.

© 2025

The blue hour in black and white

It's not often that I prefer a monochrome landscape image over the original colour shot, especially when taken at either end of the day, but there are exceptions. The sunrise itself was still two minutes away, but apart from the warm tones in the sky, the rest of the scene had a predominantly blue tinge. 

The conversion to black and white had little consequence as a final image, as the original was just a variance of blue hues and shadows.

© 2025

In the early light of day

As often as not, the success of a shoot can turn out different than planned. I've taken a super-telephoto lens to the beach in the hope of a spectacular sunrise, but the near-cloudless sky dashed all hope of that. 

Turning the lens inland. I spot the beach chalets glowing in the early morning light.

© 2025 

Two bites of the cherry

"Unpredictable as weather..." goes the line of a song from a well-known Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that has the word 'music' in the title, but it's true. At least here in the UK.

The pre-dawn light was nothing special, but as I began to set up my camera on the beach I quickly become aware of a soft magenta light enveloping everything as sunrise approached. It's not that unusual at either end of the day, but the trick is to be at a suitable location when it happens.

The hue is ephemeral, and moments later it fades away completely. The sky becomes a uniform grey, and thinking that's all I'm going to get light-wise, I leave the beach. But nature isn't finished yet, and as the cloud breaks up I'm treated to another dazzling display. The whole episode lasted a mere 9 minutes.

© 2025

 

Nowhere has a place to tie-up

                                                                                   Early morning beach.

© 2025

Preferential treatment

In the past decade or so, replenishment schemes have built up my local beaches to the point of taking away the exposed expanses of foreshore at low tide. Ripples in the sand, and reflections in tide pools once left by the ebbing sea (and very photogenic), were replaced by a subnstantial sandbank that extended to the low water line. 

But the current increase in winter storms, coupled with high tides, is beginning to shape the shoreline back to the way nature (and I) prefer.

© 2025