Brighton Beach Bathing Box Photoshoot
Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes
© David MaleWe came…
3.30pm, ready for a late afternoon and dusk photoshoot. Well planned - ready to see the colourful bathing boxes on the east side of the bay, bathed in low golden light coming in from the west. Strong front lighting. Perfect. 15 committed photographers, all rugged up and ready to go!
We saw…
Showers. Temperatures struggling to reach double figures, made significantly colder by the winds off the Southern Ocean. Choppy waters. Several kite surfers, a wind surfer, a few joggers with beanies and dogs plus one stoical swimmer. A member of the polar bear club!
And - wait for it - a bridal party optimistically looking for that special shot to make the big day even more memorable. Well, hopefully they had a sense of humour!
We persisted…
Well, we all optimised our camera settings. Worked out the best positions to shoot from. Discussed whether to shoot with wide angled lenses in order to capture the breadth of the boxes or if it was best to compress the scene with a longer lens. Took monochrome shots of the city profile and the distant Westgate Bridge that was luring us home.
And then it happened. The clouds parted, the lights were turned on and we witnessed beautiful light rebounding off the famed beach bathing boxes. The strongly lit foreground contrasted perfectly against the threatening, but now receding, sky. A little bit of magic. And all the cameras clicked.
And 8 minutes later it was gone! Not just the light but the temporary warmth that we had gratefully received.
We departed…
Well, we can divide the 15 photographers into 3 groups - smart, optimists, and downright stupid!
The smart ones left quite soon after the light departed reckoning they had seen the best of the day. They had had enough. The optimists held out for another 30 minutes or so until their resolve lowered with the temperature. And away. But the rest, a total of 3, stayed for some unknown reason in the mistaken belief of a post sunset afterglow or some corpuscular rays bursting through the dark blanket on the horizon. Wrong again!
And guess which group I fell in.
