Miranda XIV

In contrast to the previous day (where the rain and drizzle never stopped), this day dawned with a clearing sky, and promised to get even better. Miranda and I had already planned to drive north, to avoid any lingering weather from the previous day, so by mid morning, we were several hours north of Moncton, looking for a place to photograph.

Digital infrared original, 2 frame exposure blend

Without any local knowledge I had to go intuition, and aided by a good map, Miranda and I found our way to a long, nearly deserted beach. By this time the sun was rising in a clear, blue sky, so we decided that spending a couple of hours working on a beach, with a cool breeze off the ocean wouldn't be a bad plan.

Though the beach was deserted when we arrived, given how lovely the day was looking (in the eyes of a sun-worshiper), Miranda and I decided to walk a ways down the beach before starting to work. This not only put us far enough away from the parking area and any interlopers, but it gave us both a time to become accustomed to the space, and develop some idea for images.

Digital infrared original

On the whole, flat level beaches are difficult to photograph on - there is little in the way of landscape to take inspiration from, so instead of focusing on the beach itself, most of the images from this session focus on the anomalies - driftwood, old dead trees, and other debris lying upon the sand. Beacuse the light was so harsh, it was difficult to compose many of the images I tried to make - often the best angle photographically had the wrong lighting, so many of the images were compromises between the best angle, and the best light. Working with the infrared DSLR helped somewhat, as the camera lends itself to contrast situations, but still, much of the session was spent fighting to balance the pose with the light.

Digital infrared original

Miranda and I actually spent much longer on the beach than I had anticipated - more than hald of the four hours was spent walking, simply getting to the spaces in which we ended up working. And as frustrating as the bright sunlight was to work with, but Miranda and I quite enjoyed the weather, between the warm enveloping sun, and the cool wind off the ocean.