Give it a rest?

The line of least resistance is always the easiest one to take, and going to the beach has become a habit. Even when I head that way fully intending to go elsewhere I spot something that makes me think it's worth one more visit. Seeing the lifeguard's hut in place on the sea wall on Saturday was too much temptation to resist. It'll be there all summer so I should have stuck to my guns. That said I did get to update my picture of their vehicle near the pier, and get a decent shot of the warning notice when the tide had come in. Nothing fresh and interesting though.

The original idea had been to go round town and see if I could get inspiration for a new project. All that happened was I indulged my urge to photograph traffic cones. When I am faced with bright sunshine it always strikes me the pictures I take always look like someone else had taken them. This shot of cones has the added bonuses of a bike and a pigeon. What more could I want in a photograph?

As it turned out I did what I usually do in town and photographed boring stuff. Then I went to the art gallery to depress myself looking round the annual open exhibition of dull and duller paintings and photographs.  Strange how the subconscious works though. When I reviewed my pics from the wandering I had a bit of a red and white thing going on and paired a couple of pictures up that I htought worked together. Someone once said that if you are going to include words in a photograph then you should intend them to be read.

I ended up back at the pier, which I always think should be a source of photographs but just doesn't get me interested. I gave up.

Sunday and I was determined to give the pier a serious look. I didn't get that far. The sandplant was bristling with twitchers, so I pulled in for a look around. It proved less interesting than I'd hoped. However, although no more work had been done to it things had changed. At least it looked like some rubbish had been dumped in it. Photographing there with blue skies and sunshine made a change, but I didn't stop long.

In the car park I saw a pick up with an empty trailer on the back. I guessed someone was out beyond the marsh on a quad. Like a fool I put my boots on and went for a look. It's a long walk, and slippy towards the end of the track. Searching my archive when I got home it surprised me how much mud has accumulated in less than five years. Where that was hardcore by the posts which mark the end of the track is now very muddy indeed.

Then:

Now:

There was indeed a quad out on the shore. Showing a vehicle going through water helps convey movement. Otherwise it can look very static. A quad is a very good idea for going far out on the shore. I was knackered when I got back to the car and couldn't face doing any more walking, so called it a day.

All that sunshine over the weekend and nothing achieved. I still can't settle on a project. The ideas I have seem like they'd make for decent photographs, but they don't have much to say or aren't the sort of subjects I want to learn more about. The beach people project keeps me interested because I have a bee in my bonnet about the beach belonging to the people and not to its self appointed custodians. Poultry keeping keeps me interested because I'm always learning something new about chicken husbandry and the fancy.

One thing's for sure. I'm going to have to drag myself away from the seaside or I'll end up fiddling about at the edges of the beach project. Time to trawl my archive and see if anything grabs my attention.

---