“Gentle waves, like a sheet of rich blue silk, touched the shore. With barely a breeze, only the gentle pulse of the water filled the air, and the sun lit the horizon, like a distant fire. All around me is peace. I drink it in, savouring every moment; the perfect ending to a wonderful summer day.” – Ed Lehming

Today, a brief pause in my California series for an image made yesterday evening at Sandbanks Provincial Park and an image that touches me very deeply.

We had just finished dinner and looked at the clock, realizing that the sun would soon be gone, we had a 20 minute drive to get to the beach for some sunset photography. My son, also a photographer, and his girlfriend were visiting us and I wanted him to experience the incredible sunsets this area, so close to home, has to offer. He’d never been to this spot on prior visits, so it was important to present him the opportunity before he had to head back home to Toronto.

We all hastily exited the house and drove to the beach to witness this scene. The sun had just set and most of the daily beachgoers had already left, offering us a fairly private time to enjoy this beautiful scene in peace.

As the others walked the beach and enjoyed the sunset my son and I set out to photograph it, each in our own style. Because the water already had a silky appearance, I decided to emphasize it even more by shooting a series of long exposure horizontal pans. The resulting series yielded some wonderful images, including the one above. After not too long, the gloom of evening set in and the colours faded, leaving us with lovely memories and images to take with us.

Nikon D800
Tamron SP 24-70 mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70 mm
1/4 sec, f/18, ISO 2500