Making photographs of the sea
As often it started by a phone call from the redaction of the Volkskrant. Sending me to photograph the beach of Scheveningen in Den Haag, Netherlands. The newspaper was preparing an article about the 5 surfers that died on that beach last may. I received a white card to photograph the beach. The only thing I was told was that it was the cover story. I photographed and filmed with two cameras (D850 & Z7) and my drone. (You can see and read the article here)
A city without mask
Arrived in Den Haag I went straight at the beach. It was a nice week-end of August and the coast was packed with people - without mask - . It was a weird feeling to walk around without one and for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic I felt a bit “naked” to not wear a mask in a public place especially 2h30 away from Belgium where everybody was wearing one. At the time, the Dutch government didn’t impose to wear one so nobody had any. People where respecting distance and using alcoholic gel. Anyway I’m not writing a health review of the Dutch beaches. I came to make a report and I loved it.
Looking straight at the sun
First of all the story was really moving and deep. Second of all - I love the sea - and I love water. As I walked on the beach my eyes where scanning every move, every silhouette, any situation that I could grab with my camera. My sense were on alert. That kind of mix between adrenaline and transe, when the reality turns into a movie. The sun was still high but moving down facing me. I waited to be in full sunlight and walked into the water with my camera to start making photographs.
The beach as it was when I started to walk along the sea.
I found that razor sharp light beautiful. As if all human figures were cut with a cutter. It took all my attention, as I had thoughts about mythology in my head. I thought about the Styx. I thought about souls passing by. Souls guiding other ones. I loved the shadow dancing. The steps into the cold water and the different intensity of every small wave. The sound went off. As the time probably. My only constant concern was about the sun’s race.
I went around, found a couple hidden into the rocks daydreaming watching the horizon. Came back into the sea and saw that surfer who stood on a wire of a slight wave.
I put my camera down for a second to look at the bigger picture. The sun was just cut in half. The biggest cliché of a sunset. But again. Apocalypse Now came to my mind. All these silhouettes. All these humans standing on the water. It was beautiful. It could have been a movie.
As the sun started to disappear, I kept on making photographs. I couldn’t leave the sea. I wanted to go deeper in but I wasn’t equipped for that type of photographs. So I kept staying in and looked at the other side.
Far away was the pier and a highly romantic symbol: A Big Wheel was glowing into the early night. Like a moth I was drawn to this light and this strange place. It was plain darkness when I reached it.
I wanted to photograph the Big Wheel, so I went around the pier. Alone on the beach in total darkness I encountered that couple sucked by the light of their phones they were sharing a moment together when I photographed them. We looked at each other for a moment but didn’t pronounce a word. I left, and they went back to their occupation. This kind of moment have to be found. Part of the magic of being a photographer.
Go to sleep and wake up with the sunrise
The sunrise happened too early. I was then too early on the beach that morning. Nobody goes on a beach at 8.30am. I waited ‘till 10 am to see the first interesting silhouettes. But this time I took over the sky as the ground and sea level was covered.
From the sky I spotted this shape in the sand. I thought about the tail of a whale.
So I flew my old Mavic pro (that still delivers perfectly btw) I had a bit of stress seeing a fighter jet flying at low altitude, and my drone being close by but nothing happened thankfully. The wind was decent, not strong at all and the morning light shaping the shadows on the first surfers daring to get into the sea.
When I saw that photograph on my editing table, I thought about the work of my cousin and dear brother Tomas Van Houtryve I certainly know his work too well..
The day started as a beauty seen from the sky and the day was also. The light was harder around 11am so my work was done. I could drive home after chilling a bit in the beautiful city.
Thank you all for reading!
This article was written with joy and passion just for you
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While writing I was listening to:
Wanderlust : Wild Beasts
Glass Animals : Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Blue Foundation : Eyes on fire (Zeds Dead Remix)
Massive Attack : Paradise Circus
Doorman : slowthai & Mura Masa
The Sayings of the Seers : Hearts Aflame