A Second Try - Frustrating City
The First Try
I went to Alfamar beach some time ago to take pictures. It’s a beautiful place. A bit scary early morning when it’s dark as there is an abandoned hotel and lots of shadows that move 😆 But to catch the morning light, one needs to wake up when dark.
I took some pictures that were OK and one that I liked quite a lot. But… There was a BUT. This time, it was the city at the edge of the picture which I found very distractive. It was grabbing too much attention. I wanted to have a peaceful picture of a beach. Not a glowing city at background.
I tried to remove it in Photoshop, but I couldn’t do it to my satisfaction. The colour of the sky and water at the area I wanted to replace was quite unique for the picture and the water was so calm that there were reflections which didn’t want to go away without traces either. I’m sure that it was possible to do, just too advanced for me at that moment probably.
I decided to re-take the photo ideally without the city at the picture.
The Second Try
I woke up, got dressed, had my tea and headed straight to the garage - not to be late. The morning light doesn’t wait. When I was drinking my tea, I double-checked the forecast. No rain. I even checked the radar. No rain.
The garage door opened and guess what - rain. Eh?
I was already awake, in the car, ready and packed. I decided to hope that it was a local rain and it wouldn’t be raining at my destination. And I was lucky! I was right.
I went to the same spot as last time, got everything ready. This time, the sky was different, full of fluffy and dramatic clouds. I tried to position myself just a tiny little bit differently to avoid “the city problem”.
The weather was awesome - I remember freezing there when taking the previous picture. Nice and warm this time. The ocean was very calm and quiet, low tide. Water temperature higher than the air. I was tempted to go for a swim. But I didn't have any towel, nor a swimming costume. And despite the early hour, it was surprisingly busy there. Many runners in small groups - there must have been a running camp nearby, people walking dogs and fishing. I chickened out from the swimming idea.
When I was heading back to my car, I realised that I never checked the other side of the beach. I decided to give it a go - there was no rush and the clouds become even more dramatic. Very dark and getting closer and closer.
I was astonished. It was a stunning view. I felt overwhelmed. Just stood there for a while and breathed. What a view.
