Back in early September last year, while life was still relatively free and easy, I decided to drive down to Birling Gap for sunset. The plan was to arrive a couple of hours early and to photograph little details on the beach as the tide went out. By the time the sun was close to setting, I should have been far out on the sand and ready to capture it with some foreground interest. I was to find that very few things ever go as planned.
The first surprise as I got within a mile of the car park, was that the area seemed unusually busy. People were spilling out from a local pub and meandering across the road. Then it dawned on me that it was Saturday. (Days begin to lose their meaning when you are retired and a large percentage of the population are still working from home). It also turned out to be the last weekend of the school holidays. I began to think the car park might be a tad busy and I wasn’t wrong. Built to take over 130 vehicles, it wasn’t just busy, it was overflowing. Cars were parked on either side of the grass verges for hundreds of yards. I was lucky to find a gap not far from the entrance.
The beach was crowded, but at least we were able to stick within social distancing rules. The tide was going out as expected, but with a huge chalk formation stretching out beyond the water, any hopes that I might find something to photograph were quickly dashed. The chalk was very slippery and covered in deep holes. One wrong foot could have ended in disaster. I sat on the beach and waited.
Eventually, a way became clear. Further along the beach, where the chalk ended, the tide suddenly rushed out. It looked as though that part was much lower and the tide had stubbornly refused to ebb until half an hour before the lowest point. Hurrying out to a likely spot, I set up my gear, but people were now gathering to watch the sunset. I clearly wasn’t going to get the empty landscape I had been after, so I decided to photograph the people instead.
I loved the place so much, that I had intended to return during the winter, but so far the lockdowns have put an end to that. As soon as we are free to drive as far as we want, I will be back for another attempt.
Sid
3 Mar 2021Sunset is so beautiful, and the presence of people gets the idea of being in a free, inspiring place: no borders, no way to lock the immense sea down!
Great, really do I appreciate your photo ❤️
Ciao
Sid
Zooey
3 Mar 2021It was a very special evening. There is something magical in standing with a crowd of strangers, just watching the sunset 🙂
Ian Miller
11 Apr 2022Super images, great colour
Zooey
11 Apr 2022Thank you. It was a special evening. I had planned to photograph rocks with the outgoing tide. I couldn’t avoid the crowds on the beach though and decided to photograph them instead. I ended up chatting with a fellow photographer in the car park until well after dark 🙂