"I soon realised that the light given out by the now-set sun actually had a magical quality to it that bathed the pier in this wonderful evening glow."
The major challenge in capturing great landscape photographs is getting out there at the right moment. Sometimes other things in life get in the way and it isn't possible just to drop everything and run, and other times it is just the lack of right lighting or weather conditions to capture what you want to achieve!
I was desperate to get back down to the pier and get some more night shots before the summer came to an end and on this particular evening, I spent a great deal of time looking out of the window and thinking "should I? Is it worth it?"
To reach the pier meant a 10 minute walk to the bus stop and another 10 minutes on the bus. Bravely venturing out into the evening (with my face mask, of course!), I wondered if I had spent so long thinking that maybe I would have missed the best of the sunset anyway...
As I trudged with my camera gear past the small restaurants and glanced up at the horizon over the sea, I was indeed a little disappointed to have not made it there earlier. Well, I thought, I am here now - let's just see what I can come up with!
I climbed the stairs to the top deck of the pier and decided to try this shot, looking along the pier and following the leading lines of the planks. It is funny being out with a camera and tripod - people tend to stare, even though they know and see what you're all about. The funniest thing though (and this really is a common phenomenon) is how people come up alongside you taking the same shot with their iPhones; there's a natural assumption that you must have an eye for a great shot, and they don't want to miss out!
Few people were on the pier on this evening, but the relative warmth meant that some were still enjoying a calm stroll along the wooden boards, with some attempting to capture the same shot as me! But it was peaceful, and I soon realised that the light given out by the now-set sun actually had a magical quality to it that bathed the pier in this wonderful evening glow.
With very little breeze, and the smooth waves rolling in, I enjoyed capturing the atmosphere of the pier and the lights of the cocktail bar on this late summer evening. People were still enjoying walks on the beach, a glass of wine outside the promenade restaurants and even children were still enjoying a swim in the sea.
In my gallery, you'll see another couple of shots I took on this trip (one with a closer look at the bar and round restaurant that you see in this shot and another of the Ferris wheel on the other side). I really like them as a collection ❤️
It really goes to show that sometimes, you just have to get out and see what happens. Maybe a photographic opportunity will arise that you never planned or foresaw!
Let me know what you think of this photo and the others in the comments below! Don't forget that all are available as downloads, prints and other products in the gallery 🙂