Little Bang Theory

Á La Plage. September 5, 2012

Ah, the beach. That sandy sanctuary that’s the soul of summer, that haven of heavenly heat. The place where children lose themselves in the sound of the sea and the fury of their imaginations:

There’s so much happening here. The water is teeming with people digging the last of the long days:

Surfers:

Boogie-Boarding boys:

Beach Bocce matches, apparently with different interpretations:

Paddle games:

…and people. Young people posing for the world to witness:

Older people still strutting their stuff:

…some sleeping in the afternoon sun:

…or flying kites in the gentle sea breeze:

…or fishing in the sea itself:

And of course, you’d be unwise to go anywhere near the ocean without an appropriate lifeguard:

I’m not a big beach booster, preferring instead to scramble on rocks, but I enjoyed this shoot. The parade of people was intriguing, and the effect of having a particular lens on and trying to see the world at its proportions was a challenge. Most of these shots were from Gizmo with a 2X Tele-extender for an effective focal length of 800mm, and most are taken using a tripod. The resulting photos look like close-ups, but I didn’t have to get in peoples’ faces to get them. I like that, both because I don’t like insinuating myself into strangers’ days and because getting in close to people affects their behavior, which isn’t what I was there for.

At any rate, these are the shots I got at Olgonquit Beach in Maine this past August, on my way home from my visit to Cape Elizabeth.