The Things

The stupid things we do for the sake of Art.

Like last Saturday for example. I was having one of those days which just felt productive, doing bits and pieces around the house that needed to be done. Looking out the window I noticed the weather, while changeable, was looking pretty good. Cool, I thought, I can take off and get me some photos – be extra productive

So, after finishing what I was doing, I sorted out the camera (just one this time), layered up, threw the bike in the car and headed to Eastbourne. It was cold (hence the layering) and there was a howling southerly, but I was happy enough to be riding into it knowing I would have an awesome tail wind on the home stretch.

So I headed off, and fairly early on, as expected, got rained on by a passing shower. As I neared my destination – a very exposed bay open to everything the southerly could throw at it – it started to rain (I think), very, very stingy rain. I found slight shelter behind a pile of shingle. Sure enough, within seconds, things settled, so I pulled out the camera, jumped over the shingle and started framing up. Just as the rain came again. Hard, blown parallel by the howling wind. And the light dropped a couple of stops.

I rattled off a couple of shots, moved, rattled off some more. Kinda decided I wasn’t getting the angle I wanted so racked up the monopod above head height and pointed the camera in the vague direction of what I wanted and rattled off more shots. Shooting at f5.6 at 1/4sec in this wind felt like a complete a waste of time, but knowing I only had twelve shots to take, and that both me and the camera were wet enough that a little more water wouldn’t hurt I continued shooting. Then the water did actually start to hurt. Really, really hurt. Hail (I think), blown parallel by the howling wind.

I finished, hurriedly packed up, jumped on the bike, and took off. Naturally as I was heading back to the warmth and dryness of the car, the wind died away, and my hoped for tailwind was non-existent. Fortunately there was no headwind either. But there was more rain.

I got back just on 6pm, cold and wet, changed into what dry clothing I had, and hoped the car heater would give me some feeling in my feet again.

What an awesome trip. An hour and a half of all the elements I love – wind, water, sea, adrenalin, ephedrine. It was choice. And of course I have to go back and actually get a decent shot of the place sometime. Oh well.

The stupid things we do for the sake of Art, eh.