I could never stay long enough on the shore; the tang of the untainted, fresh, and free air was like a cool, quieting thought.
Helen Keller
I should start by saying that I am not a typical ‘beach person’. I fry in the sun and get easily bored just lying around. And having taken the trouble to fly to a foreign country, I want to see and experience the culture that makes it unique, not spend time in an environment that differs only a little from place to place.
And yet, I love the sea and love to be beside it! Besides, there are certain beaches that do appeal to me, and certain times when a beach becomes appealing. The latter include wintery or poor weather, when a walk on a beach delivers the drama of a sea constantly in motion, not to mention plenty of photo opportunities. And after a hectic day or series of days travelling, time to relax with a beautiful view and the sound of the waves is definitely welcome. Not to mention the bonus of cooling off in those waves!
Then there are those beaches which deliver on the local culture front. Beaches with an active fishing industry are a great example of this; I’d much rather stay by one with a vibrant local economy than one frequented only by my fellow tourists.
For this week’s Monochrome Madness, hosted by Brian, I’ve brought together some images of all these kinds of beach. Some were taken here in the UK (including my feature photo of Whitstable in Kent) and some on my travels. Unfortunately I planned this post ahead of time and had understood his theme to be a more general beachy one, not restricted to items found ‘on the beach’, so apologies that not all of these shots are completely on topic!
All images are, as usual, converted from colour originals using Nik Silver Efex Pro.
Druridge Bay in winter, Northumberland, England
Brighton Beach and Palace Pier, England
St. Aubin’s Bay and Elizabeth Castle, Jersey
Early morning on Senigallia Beach, Italy
Praia do Faro, Portugal
The dark sands of Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland
Djúpalónssandur on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland
Kalaloch Beach, Olympic Peninsula, WA
The imaginatively named First Beach, also on the Olympic Peninsula
Beach seller, Varadero, Cuba
A small bay on Isla Sombrero Chino, Galápagos Islands
Windbreakers on a beach on Sal, Cape Verde Islands
On Ngala Beach, Gambia
On Baobab Beach, Madagascar
(don’t you think this piece of driftwood looks just like a lizard or maybe a crocodile?!)
Locals paddling at Baga Beach, Goa
Fishermen on Chowara Beach, Kerala, India
Buffalo by the Mekong, a river beach on Done Deng Island, Laos
37 Comments
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Annie Berger
Unlike you this time, Steven and I are big beach people! We enjoy lazing on a beach for hours on end and reading, perhaps because I don’t have or take the time to do often enough. The Kerala shot was just stunning – perfect composition of white and dark and shades in between. I did think I was looking at a crocodile on the Baobab beach!
Sarah Wilkie
I can enjoy it for a few hours if I have shade, and I love a dip in the sea, but I get bored after a while and want to explore. However as I get older I find I welcome a bit of downtime on a trip more and more, especially at the end, so who knows, I may come to love (shaded) beach time!
grandmisadventures
It’s so interesting how beaches in black and white have an entirely different feel than with the color of the water meeting the sky. Some of them feel almost a little eerie. But I really love the women in Goa standing together in the water.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, a very different feel – to me, not so much eerie as a little bleak. But I’m odd as that’s how I quite like my beaches!
Amy
Beautiful black and white gallery of beach, Sarah! Love the last three especially. I’m far way from the beach, that’s okay with me. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Amy 😊 It’s interesting that you picked those three, as they’re the ones with the most local activity – something I always enjoy seeing and photographing!
wetanddustyroads
Ah, beaches! Black & white or in colour … it remains a favourite of mine. I have a hard time choosing a favourite beach among your photos. If I really have to, it might be Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland – it looks wild and mysterious. I think I’d love to walk there (wearing a very warm jacket, scarf and gloves of course).
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much 😊 I know you love wilder beaches too, so Reynisfjara would definitely appeal to you. Just be careful not to go too close to the water’s edge as the beach is infamous for the dangerous waves that have been known to snatch people into the sea, and at times to their deaths 😢
Anonymous
Lying in the sun and getting all sweaty and sand sticking to me – no thanks. [both of us have had melanomas so that’s another reason] Swimming, snorkeling or diving – YES.
I am not now much of a fan of walking and walking is difficult for me on a shifting uneven surface, and sand is almost impossible for any mobility assistance device, so I don’t walk on beaches anymore. But the sand does lend itself to b&w photos. Sometimes even when photos are in color you can’t tell that they aren’t b&w pictures. And grey leaden skies over water. And surf and boats – I particularly love the fisherman in this series.
But if the water is crystal clear and blue – I hate to lose that color.
Rosalie
Sarah Wilkie
I do tend to agree about clear blue seas Rosalie, the colours are often stunning and deserve to be seen. But in places like Iceland where seas are grey, monochrome works well – and you’re right about colour photos of such scenes often looking black and white, this edit of my Reynisfjara shot doesn’t look so very different from the colour original!
margaret21
These images respond so well to b/w treatment. That image of Senigallia Beach stopped me in my tracks, as did all the ‘wilder’ beach scenes. Terrific stuff.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Margaret 😊 Senigallia is so not my sort of beach! I stayed there a couple of days while on a driving holiday in the March region with a friend a few years ago. It was a handy base and the town has some nice restaurants and an old castle to explore, but neither of us was interested in spending time on that beach. But I was struck by the view of the regimented rows of umbrellas from my hotel window!
margaret21
Well, quite. So not my kind of holiday either!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Great selection. I feel much the same as you about beaches. I love walking by the sea but hate lying there frying (not that we get the chance much here)!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anabel 🙂 Yes, a walk by the sea is wonderful, especially if it’s warm enough to go barefoot and paddle a little!
Susanne Swanson
Beautiful photos! I enjoy beaches the same way you do! And of course, I’m always happy to see you share beaches from my home state of Washington. 😊
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Susanne. The beaches in Washington were exactly the sort I do enjoy – wild and photogenic!
Egídio
Sarah, your monochromes are so beautiful. What a great gallery you shared!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Egidio 😊
Monkey's Tale
Like you I love the coast, but not a day lying on the beach. I love the scene on Senigallia Beach, it seems to go well with the monochrome theme. Maggie
Anne Sandler
What an awesome response to this challenge Sarah. You are a master in black and white. Your photos show the texture of the sand and debris on the beaches.
Sarah Wilkie
Aw, thanks so much Anne 😊
Rose
I’m not a lay-on-the-beach type either, I like to keep moving to see all the things. Your black and white beach photos had me feeling more introspective and solitary, which is great when trying to solve a thinking puzzle. This was especially true for the dark sands of Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland. I could see myself walking there, listening to the waves, pondering some big life moments.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for this thoughtful feedback Rose 😊 I tend to be too busy looking for photos to be properly thoughtful on a beach or anywhere out of doors! A quiet room at home works better for me I think. But I’m glad you saw the potential for problem-solving in these scenes.
Kymber Hawke
I love the photos of the beach in black and white. Nature is so amazing and you have a good eye for photography. I’m so glad I came here and saw your post today. 🌺
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Kymber 😊 I’m happy to have been able to share these photos with you.
Alison
I think you’ve definitely covered the challenge correctly, I saw lots of things found on the beach. I did think it really was a creature on the beach until I read your comments.
I’ve been to those beaches in Iceland too, they don’t look any different in colour 😂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alison 😊 I agree about those beaches in Iceland, there really wasn’t a lot of difference between my ‘before’ and ‘after’ images!
Leanne Cole
I am the same as you Sarah, not much of a beach person, pretty much for the same reasons and I don’t like salt water.
I love your photos they are fantastic.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Leanne 😊 I know what you mean about the salt water, although I do like going in the sea if I can keep the salt from my face. As a child I loved it!
Aletta - nowathome
A beautiful selection of photos Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Aletta 🙂
bushboy
A great gallery of beach scenes on and around the beach Sarah. They fit the monochrome theme.
It must have been very dark at Druridge Bay in winter, Northumberland, England. No photo?
I like the folded umbrellas on Senigallia Beach, Italy
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Brian 🙂 Senigallia Beach is exactly what I DON’T like in a beach – lines of people all frying in the sun! But early in the morning it made for some interesting shots 🙂 I’m not sure I understand the comment about Druridge. Did the photo not load for you? It’s definitely there – try refreshing the page and you should see it 🙂
Teresa
I guess you and me are alike in some ways. I know that you are a city girl and you also are not a beach person. So there you go haha but great photos of beaches, especially the Waves in Kerala… wonderful.
Sarah Wilkie
I do love to live in a city but I also love to visit wilder places so I love the sea. But sitting or lying on a beach I find boring after an hour or so 😀 Thank you for the kind comment about that Kerala shot in particular. It sums up the sort of beach I DO like, with dramatic waves and lots of activity!