The Advantage of Repeat Visits

A wonderful thing about seascape photography is that you can return to the same location numerous times and always manage to come away with an image different from those captured during previous visits.

The coastline is always a very dynamic place and there are many variables that have an effect on the images you capture.
There are the obvious variables related to the amount and quality of light – the time of day, the time of year (season), the cloud cover, mist or even pollutants in the air, etc.
On top of all that, the sea level and subsequent water flow constantly changes due to the tides and the size of waves also changes from one moment to the next. Of course there’s also changes on the coast due to shifting sands and also erosion of more solid structures in the long term. New objects of interest are either being deposited on the beach or swept away with each tidal change.

So where am I heading with this rant?
In a nutshell I would say don’t be afraid to revisit the same coastal locations over and over again. Instead of looking at the grand picture, stop for a moment and have a look at the small things that are new and interesting. Try to incorporate these small items into your image as a major part of the foreground and “hey presto” you have a new image.

End of rant. 🙂