SEASIDE PHOTO EXPEDITION!

 One of my favorite things to do when visiting a seaside location, is get out and do photography, either when the sun is low in the sky during sunrise, or when it is low in the sky during sunset.  

I recently had the opportunity to do this during a seaside stay in Sea Grove Beach, Florida.  I like to look for something interesting to put in the foreground of these photos, and while taking a morning walk, the only thing I could find was some sea oats plants.  My grandson-in-law does not like people in his landscape photos, but I am just the opposite---I like to see people in my landscape photos, especially couples, if they appear to be enjoying their outing!

An advantage of getting out earlier in the day is that there are usually more shells on the beach,  because they have not been picked over.  I look for shells with a hole in them, so I can add them to my "Gratitude Net", showing the location and date of where I found the seashell.  The note on the net says, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you."

The blog "Sanibel Expedition!" gives the history of my sea shell collecting, and is in the archives at January 27, 2015.  Besides being used for my gratitude net, a seashell with a hole in it, can also be a picture frame! (photo credit to Diana L for photo of me, with seashell frame)

 

Here is another couple at sunset:

If I cannot spot a romantic-looking couple for a photo, then I look for something else to add interest to the foreground.  The photo below shows what I called the "stairway to heaven".

Sea oats at sunset:

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As seen in many beach locations, the fences like the ones shown below, can add interest to a foreground.  They have many names---sand fences, snow fences, crib fences, and water gap fences. Their purpose is to force windblown, drifting sands to accumulate in desired places, to control erosion, and to keep sand off highways. 

I first realized the pleasing-to-the-eye effect of sand fences in seascapes, thanks to a painting my husband did, that hangs on the wall of what I call, my "Sea Lodge" bedroom.

It always delights me whenever I can use palm tree (a common identifier of tropical locations) as a frame for a sunset photo:

Ever since social media came on the scene, I have enjoyed seeing group photos of families/friends/travel groups, etc., posted, that show folks at a seaside location, all posing for the picture they will use as a souvenir, to remind them of this moment in their lives.  And, as luck would have it, I came across such a family at Sea Grove Beach, as I strolled along the shore on a recent trip.  The father was there with a tripod, his son was staring at his iphone, and the mom was capturing the seaside smiles of a gorgeous family, all dressed in colors of the surf and sand!

They could immediately get a preview of the photos, as they compared a vertical, versus horizontal, format. 

The interesting thing about the photographer in this photo, is that she is a professional at taking photos, albeit the kind that a radiologist captures through x-rays, CAT scans, and MRI's!

Fortunately, the models for these photos were being good sports, and without complaining, switched their location from the ocean being behind them, to the beach being behind them. 

Here is a mother-daughter photo of two beautiful ladies!

As the reader has probably figured out by now, this family I "stumbled" onto, was actually the group I was with, and as instructed, I had worn clothes that blended with the seaside location.  The story behind this crooked photo is interesting:  Jim had sat up his iphone on the tripod, with the self timer on, and a lady came along, insisting that she could take our group photo.  She then proceeded to rotate the iphone to a diagonal position, resulting in the photo shown here.  She said, "You will thank me later!"

As the sun continued to drop in the sky, and the very "helpful" tourist moved on, Jim sat the tripod in a different location, and got a photo of the sun behind us, whereas the former photo was with the sun shining in front of us. 

One of the D Family members took this photo of me with the R Family:

And, I cherish this photo of me with my grandson and granddaughter!

The group humored me, by allowing one photo where we all had our arms lifted up!

Hope you enjoyed traveling along on this seaside photo expedition!  I am using the image below as the visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "Create in me a pure heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  Psalm 51:10   

Taking these photos, telling about them, and sharing them, has given me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia