Leah at Martinique Beach

Leah and I had made plans several times before to work together but every time,either her schedule or mine changed, pushing the date off until another time. Finally, things came together, and after a day of teaching, I packed up my gear and headed off to meet her. Since the first time we'd talked about working together, Leah had said she was most interested in working in water, so we headed to the coast, opting for Martinique beach.

Digital original, 10 frame stitch

Since my first session with Krista at Martinique Beach, it has become one of the most common settings for my work with the Nude since (it has had a similar influence as Gold River and Dawson's Brook). I am always amazed at how easy it is to work on the beach, given what a popular summer destination it was for sunbathers and surfers (not that Nova Scotia has great surfing waves, but surfers make the best of what there is).

The day was sunny in Halifax, but when we arrived at Martinique, you couldn't see a hundred meters for the fog. Still, it was warm enough for Leah to work in the water, and after walking down a distance on the back side of the beach, we set to work.

Digital original

Because of the thick fog, I decided not to take the 8"x10" camera - the amount of moisture in the air was a concern, and while I could keep the digital SLR under wraps until I was ready to shoot, the larger view camera was impractical. Using the DSLR was actually very appropriate for the session, as many of the images we made were strongly horizontal, and could be made with multi-image stitches, which both suited the subject matter and increased the resolution of the images.

After working on the backside of the beach for half-an-hour or so, Leah started to get chilled (more from the cool air, and staying still than from the actual water temperature), so we wrapped up the session, packed up the gear, and prepared to set off. Before we left however, she wanted to check out the ocean side of the beach, to see the waves.

Digital original

In the fog, the surf looked pretty impressive, emerging from the wall of gray and slowly gaining contrast as it approached the beach. Leah wandered a little into the water, and promptly declared she could work for a bit in the surf, if there was enough light. Though the light was a little low, there was more then enough to work, so we began to work. I swiftly realized the best angle to work from was in the ocean as well, so I took my camera off the tripod, rolled up my pants, and wadded out into the surf. We didn't work for more then ten minutes, but it was a good, fun ending to a short but successful session.