Revisiting The Beach

    The beach is a place to go for relaxation, waves, sights and countless other experiences that help us escape the everyday stress of our lives. We share happiness and relaxation with family and friends, or enjoy the solitude that being on the beach, alone, with breaking waves and the smell of salt water in the air brings us. Those of us that are lucky enough to live by it get to enjoy it more frequently than those that do not, at least physically. The intangible benefits of the beach can bring on memories long after the trip has ended, benefiting beach locals and non-locals alike.

     In keeping with the theme of the beach, and relaxation, I wanted to share with you this photograph and my revisiting of it for my first blog. Photography is all about light and the use of it to make an image. The use of a camera in conjunction with the image constructed in my mind allows me to save indefinitely an image that only lasts from a few minutes all the way down to a fraction of a second. Photographs, like other forms of art, not only provide a viewer something nice to look at, but also an outlet for you to immerse yourself in; a place for you to explore within the artwork and within yourself. It can bring back memories of prior times along with countless other feelings and thoughts.

     This photograph was taken in Spring Lake, NJ in October of 2008. It was a warm October evening, and I had gone out to the beach with the intention of capturing the moon rising over the water. Upon my arrival, I gathered my gear and began walking out on the beach, looking for the spot that inspired me; I made a few exposures, but nothing that I felt really captured the “feeling” I had formulated in my mind. I continued to walk, exploring by moving off of the beach through the walk ways that bring you from the beach to Ocean Ave, and then back again looking for the “Aha!” spot. After one or two trips, I came across the scene you now see. The moon had come up just enough so that it was distinguishable above the horizon, just clearing the sea grass while the last of the day’s sunlight, quickly disappearing behind me, provided the soft warm light common during the first and last hour of sunlight of each day. I quickly set up my camera, metered the scene, and made the exposure. When I set out that night, I had thought I would be on the beach by the water, however, I didn’t find what I was looking for until I stepped away from my initially planned spot. I have found this true in many aspects of life and feel that the journey in many cases is just as important, if not more so, than the desired destination.

You can view the full size image of this at my website, www.colinseitzphotography.com, along with many other images of the Jersey Shore, National Parks, and our natural environment, as well as some abstract photography. My newsletter is how I announce upcoming shows, as well as new photographs and products that I have added. I hope you have enjoyed reading this, and look forward to bringing to you more photographs and the stories that accompany them from my explorations.