On the beach

Took a trip to the beach yesterday. Not sure what I was expecting to photograph. The last time I went there was a big tide and I timed it right for high water so got some shots of waves (pretty poor) and some of waders flying over the water (not much better).

The tide was ebbing as I arrived but the sun was shining. I'd even attached a polariser to my short zoom, and I realised (as I do every rare time I use it) how much it can enhance photographs.

Without:

With:

I roamed around trying to capture a decent dog walker image and failing, then turned to look into the sun and spotted some large kites. Looking closer they were kiteboarding kites (I think that's what it's called) A couple were on the waves and a few more on souped-up skateboards on the sand.

This proved quite tricky to photograph but was good fun. The closer I got the better the action pics. Unfortunately the wind was dying and they all started to pack up just as I was getting ideas and better practised. Still, it's something to go looking for on a windy day.

Moving on to the dunes I think I managed to get one shot, after quite a few attempts over the past year, that captures the mood of the place. I'll probably keep on trying for a better effort.

All in all not a bad couple of hours.

As a lurker on the Talk Photography forum I keep seeing the opinion expressed, in veiled terms and explicitly, that people who take thousands of shots to get a handful of good ones (or should that be great ones?) aren't skilled. This really is nonsense of the highest order. I defy anyone to shoot fast moving action of any sort to go out, take one frame, and it be superb. If they can then I reckon that will have been just as much the result of luck as the 'shutter bug' approach.

This attitude that how an image is captured matters is complete poppycock.  At the end of the day the image stands on its own merits. Nobody (in their right mind) cares what camera, lens or approach was used to get it. Memorable images are memorable images. Only people who lack a vision of their own give a toss how images are arrived at. Far too many amateurs judge their own work by the work they see in print, at camera club shows or as praised on the web. Unless their work has the look and feel of something they have seen before they feel like they have failed. Quite where that leaves my photos I don't know. I doubt any camera club would think much of the ones I like best. I hope not at any rate!

For what it's worth the first two shots here were taken using the 17-55, all the rest with the 70-200 with x1.7tc. The value of a telephoto for landscape work proving itself once again, in my opinion, concentrating the view and compressing depth to flatten the image for graphic effect.

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