The waves tumble over themselves and spill onto the sand of Newton Beach, the ever-approaching flood tide claiming the land for the evening. I hop across the rockpool barefoot, my yellow Converse waiting patiently for me to return, kicked off in a rush further up the beach. I forge ahead, eyes darting between the terrain and the lone sailboat as it travels silently across the line of the horizon, eager to capture the shot before it passes by. With each step comes another shard of broken rock, with each second the light of the setting sun fades.

I pause to set up the framing of the shot, waiting for the boat to drift by. I check the camera settings one last time, F4.5, 34mm at 1/4000S, set on the move as I made my way down towards the water’s edge. Test shots fill the few moments before the boat comes into view, the decision made to raise the vantage point with a small climb up onto the rocks. A freehand shot removes the need for a cumbersome tripod, a stroke of luck as there wouldn’t have been time to set one up anyway.

Breath held; shutter released.

Digital editing, the majesty of the modern age. Minor adjustments to contrast and clarity before conversion into monochrome, raising the vividness of the foreground without loss of depth of field.

A snap decision, capturing a fleeting moment in time.

Ships that pass in the night.

Only Happy Days,

~ A ~