Day at the Beach

self portrait

 I bartend part-time at Tower7 on Wrightsville Beach, a really good Baja-Mex restaurant worth checking out--- try the tuna tacos!  Some days I head up there a couple hours early to get a quick surf, yesterday was one of these days and the waves were pretty fun.  Despite the chilly heavy wind it was actually a really beautiful day...  However, after a taking a cold set on the head I was ready to get out.  While walking out of the water I noticed a group of businessmen standing around on the beach, a paradox as they were dressed in full-suits (and not the kind you're supposed to wear to the beach when it's cold...wakka wakka).  I got to my car, grabbed my Canon AE-1 primed with a roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 and snapped a couple shots.  

 above I chose a shallow focus to add an aspect of anonymity to the subjects as well as to emphasize the paradox of the environment.  left I snapped this one right as a nice empty overhead wave crashed in the distance.  right  I pulled this one from the scanner early giving it a sepia effect.  Over all I over-developed the roll by about 10% giving all the images a heavier contrast and grainy effect... evident in these photos.

  above I really like the contrast of the white water against the sand in this photo.  This has been my favorite playground since I was a kid.  Even before I knew what surfing was, running and playing in the foamy shore break was exciting enough. 

  Getting out of the water while it is still good can be bitter-sweet.  In this situation I was getting out to get ready for work and caught a glimpse of this paddle boarder getting a quick cover up on this good sized right hander.

  Nothing like a good day at the beach, whether to get a quick surf, kick around some sand, read a book or host a corn-hole tournament it is a place of serenity, peace and relaxation.  This will always be my favorite place- especially on days like yesterday!