Driving home along the coast road a little bit earlier than usual, just as dusk was settling I stopped off in the car park on the coast side of the Marine Lake. The sun was setting behind the Marine Way Bridge providing a warm tone to the bridge and the Ramada hotel. The other end of the lake was a colder bluer tone. I love the split of colour in this shot. There was no heroic sunset, just the gentle softening and warming of the light as the sun dropped below the horizon.
The Sefton coast is a vast space, and once the autumn chill sets in the beach is largely deserted. On an overcast but warm autumn day you will see the occasional visitor loitering along the water’s edge. The tide comes in so gently on this gently sloping beach that it’s a rather tranquil experience standing and watching the water lap gently closer and closer to the tide line.
With the flat light on the surface of the water the sky and sea blend almost seamlessly into one vast bright plane of soft colour and light. The couple standing at the water bring a sense of scale and perspective to the image.
The wide open spaces of the Southport to Ainsdale coast are wonderful for a brisk walk, or for horse riding, kite flying/racing and many other pursuits, but for the photographer it can present its own problems. How do you hide all the cars and vans parked along the beach? What do you use for foreground interest. How do you get close enough to the sea? Really, the tide goes out so far that it’s vital to know when the tide is in if you want water in shot!
One solution I have discovered is to use a slightly longer zoom and bring the grass to the sea…