"Serenity"

April 27, 2010

Ahhhhhh the beach…

It has been nearly 3.5 years since I moved to Phoenix from Cape Cod, Mass. In that time I have not seen the ocean at all. In my nearly 40 years of life, that is the longest stretch I ever went.

I was born and raised in CT. The beach was only 45 minutes away, and I went regularly both as a kid and teenager. As an adult I worked at the Connecticut Post Newspaper in Bridgeport for 2.5 years – right along the coast. In 1999 I moved to Cape Cod, Mass. and saw the ocean nearly every day. In fact the ocean was all I would see when I went on my yearly overnight tuna fishing trips. I’ve always loved the ocean.

"Along the Beach"

"Along the Beach II"

I moved to Arizona to photograph the Southwest. Places like the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and Bryce Canyon was what I was after. I tell people I traded the sands of the ocean for the sands of the desert. Yet I always longed to get back to that ocean water.

"Beach Ripples"

When I noticed I would only be 170 miles away from the Gulf of Mexico when I was photographing the Spanish Missions in San Antonio, it was a no-brainer to head on down. And I am sure glad I did.

I remember when I would drive back onto Cape Cod via the Bourne Bridge – the cool air, the smell of the marshes, and the sound of seagulls making their presence known. I always enjoyed the ride to the beach. And I experienced that same feeling driving on the bridge on Park Rd 22 onto Padre Island.

"Along the Jetty"

The beach here was everything I remember. Gorgeous light at sunrise and sunset, the smells and sounds, and one thing I forgot: the mosquitoes and no-see-ums.

I had about a 10 minute walk from my RV to the beach here at Mustang Island State Park. And that 10 minute walk was something I began to fear. No matter how much bug spray I applied, the mosquitoes – as big as Texas itself – were there in force along my walk. I lost track of how many I’ve killed in my RV. And cooking on my grill was a real challenge – before I could even open up the grill cover to flip my food I was killing 3 or 4 or 5 of them on my legs.

But on the beach itself, with the offshore breeze, I was able to briefly forget about the mosquitoes and concentrate on making photos. Some of my favorite photographs on my nearly 2 week photo tour of Texas has come from the beach. No surprise, really, giving my past and my love of the ocean. I just need to make sure it’s not another 3.5 years before I see it again!

"Sunrise on the Jetty"

The six photos in this post are now online on my website and are available as fine art prints. I have a few more photos from my trip here that I will be adding to my online galleries when I have a chance to process them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.