Contemplating surfing

Right place…right time.

Contemplating Surfing.

On the 28th of August, I headed out a few hours before sunset with the vague intention of photographing… well, something! I didn’t have a solid plan in mind at all. Initially, I aimed for the Lizard Peninsula, hoping to capture a beautiful beach scene as the sun dipped below the horizon. However, when I arrived, every beach I checked out was absolutely packed with people, which put me off the idea entirely.

Running out of daylight, I decided to make my way up to the North Coast, to one of my favourite spots: Godrevy Beach. Along the way, I stopped at Gwithian Beach and managed to catch a few shots just as a band of rain moved over, adding a moody atmosphere. Then, I headed down to the slipway with the hope of catching some impressive incoming waves.

That’s when two surfers appeared. The man confidently entered the sea over the rocks, despite the waves crashing forcefully around him—a move I’ve seen plenty of surfers attempt at this beach before, but never quite when the surf was as high and wild as it was that day. The woman with him watched him carefully, hesitated, observed the waves a little longer, and then wisely chose the much safer option to paddle out from the sandy shore instead. I really can’t blame her for that choice!

In the rush to capture this moment before she turned back or he plunged in, I nearly missed the shot entirely. I forgot to change any of my camera settings in my hurry and ended up shooting at f/5. Fortunately, I was zoomed out to 17mm, which helped me make the most of those conditions and still get a great photograph.

I’m trying to find these two on Facebook, I love how this turned out and would like them to see it.