Backstory

I’m taking a break from the beach today.

Rather, I’m taking a break from posting pictures of the beach today.

Rather, I’m taking a break from posting new pictures of the beach today.

I’ve been reading the latest post from SOFN where Marcus talks about his featured shot based on contact sheets. I’m always interested in the back story of good photos and he inspired me to do something different.

In today’s post, I’ll share a bit of background on last week’s shots on Wick Beach.

When I go on a photo walk, I call it a success if I get one good-shot.  It’s as much a function of luck as skill. I like having people in my frame, so I rely heavily on luck. On this evening, I had some exceptional luck in getting a gorgeous sunset and a few unusual beach visitors.

Two for the Waves and Ocean Mist  – It’s an under-appreciated fact that the sun moves with the season. Scientifically it makes sense but to a city dweller who’s never paid attention to sunsets, it was a surprise.

From my balcony window, the sun that used to blind me in March has gradually slipped to the right and become hidden by the hills. We’d wanted to do a sunset shoot, so after checking the meteorological calendar, hubby and I packed a picnic dinner and drove to Wick beach. I’d hoped for surfers and was happy to see people heading out after work, squeezing in surf time just before sunset at 9:30pm.

BoJack on the Beach – While it’s not unusual to see folks in wet suits, windbreakers and shorts;  it is unusual to see someone with a horse’s head striding up and down the beach.  He was nonchalantly begging for attention and being stubbornly Canadian, everyone was ignoring him.  Maybe I should have waved him over and asked him Why? Was it a dare, a high school graduation prank or a local rite of summer?  Maybe it was just as well that I left it alone and kept it a a mystery.

Sisters on the Beach – There are three main industries in this part of Vancouver Island – fishery, logging and tourism.  Between the ocean and  the mountains, there is no farm land. Which is why this group of traditionally clad women looked so unusual. I am guessing that they were Mennonites visiting from mainland BC.

It was a challenge to take their shots discreetly; insofar as I could be discreet with a big camera plastered to my face. The real challenge though, was that they moved around in groups of six and eight.  As every photographer knows, odd numbers make for better pictures. However, these ladies would not comply.

My best shot was this one, cropped to four with an interesting layering of line and form.  Although it was a sunset picture, I opted for monochrome to tone down the noisiness of color.

Silent Light – Entirely by accident, I turned around from the sunset and was enchanted by golden light on sand and water.  One of the sisters stood alone and formed a perfect anchor for the scene.

This picture looks almost as good in monochrome and for a while, I considered posting it with the Sisters. Another good rule of photography is to never mix color and monochrome in a collection. However, I really liked the golden light color and elected to keep it separate.

That’s it for today.  A bit longer in verbiage from my recent posts.  Let me know if you enjoyed reading and  I’ll do it again.

Until then, see ya at the beach!

Ucluelet, Vancouver Island.  June 2019