There’s something about the sea which keeps calling me.

I’d expected to be further inland, playing with the Zoneplate as it was a bright, sunny, cloudless day but as I drove I found myself closer and closer to the sea, until, at last, I got out and walked on the beach.

Despite the cold I watched the girl go in and swim. Not for long but a lot futher out than I’d have gone and with a lot less clothes on than I’d have managed. Her father was ready with the towel, gathering her up as soon as she left the water and rubbing her hard to get the warmth back into her. From the gravel walk above the shingle banks the people watched her amazed that anyone would go in this early in the year.

I’ve managed a few shots with the Zoneplate. It’s very different from what I’ve done up until now. The camera has a fixed lens of around 55mm with a fixed aperture of f34 so you have to balance shutter speed and film speed to get the image that you want. It’s going to be very much a learning process but I’m ok with that. The very first images are here.

Most of the day inland was taking pictures of churches in the sun so it was nice to wander along the beach and admire the different types of beach huts, all in different stages of repair.

I’d not been near the sea since Bulgaria so it was nice to be back. Wandering along the beach I came to one of the huts with a veranda and sat with my back to the pillar, watching the sea and the shadows on the flaking paint.