Ahhhhhh . . . sunshine and sand and ocean waves! We spent a lovely hour and a half at Salmon Creek Beach on Saturday- just watching the waves, the gulls, and the people. I don’t know the official temp, but I’m guessing seventy something- shirtsleeve weather.
We got there early, set up a blanket, and just enjoyed the scene. I had a camera battery with a distressingly low charge (yes, I had charged it- no, I didn’t see that it was actually not charged when I put it in the camera- no, I won’t be using that tricky outlet again), but had decided that I would just take whatever photos I could and would shoot “intentionally”- one of my 2013 goals. No snapping away. And definitely no seagulls- I can photograph them any day of the week in my own town.
Of course, I couldn’t resist the seagulls- they were everywhere. But this photo is the one I like the best- the light, the clouds and the expanse of beach. I’m not convinced the footprints add to the photo- but they were there, kind of leading to nowhere. I am using the photo in response to a Flickr challenge about using leading lines to guide the viewer into the image. But the lines I was seeing when I composed the photo were the stripes of clouds and the surf.
I think this photo also works as a black and white. What do you think?
UPDATE:
I took out the footprints! What do you think?
melinda anderson photography 
Salmon Beach!! What fun memories! I love the beach here but the sand is as hard as a rock. We drive on it. Not nice to sit and put your feet in. Great for sandcastles though!
What an amazing seascape, Melinda. I love both versions. The muted colors of the sky on the first image I think works really well. And your black and white conversion is brilliant too. Both are just perfect.
I love these shots. I think I prefer the colored shot. The sweep of the clouds really makes the shot. Perfect composition. And I think the footprints lead into the shot. Too bad there weren’t more of them. 🙂
I like the black and white one..gives me more of a seashore feeling.
I like and it’s one of my favorite beaches…….keep on clickin’ .
[…] them bugged me. Next task: add MORE footprints to the black and white version- MAYBE! Check out yesterday’s post for the […]
A great seascape. I think I prefer the one without the footprints. Maybe I’m overthinking it & might not have even noticed if you hadn’t mentioned it, but it seems like they lead OUT of the picture, instead of into it. Looks like someone walked to the water’s edge, then turned around. It is as if they are at the wrong angle to the rest of the picture and sort of fight the lines that lead up the beach, towards the people in the distance. Without the footsteps, those far figures lead back to the foreground and to the water. I do, however, like the idea of footsteps going nowhere. Still, I prefer the beach without the footprints.
You’re right, the footsteps ended to abruptly, but perhaps they could have cloned additional repeating, transformed smaller ones. Now that would definitely be a challenge.
I like it without the footprints. Love this photo!!!