seaside | alan frost photography

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside…

I don’t know why but I was looking through my CaptureOne catalogue a few days ago and came across some images which I had taken in the summer of last year down at Weymouth beach in Dorset. It was a dull, overcast day and without any sun the beach was almost deserted with only a few hardened holidaymakers determined to make the most of it.

I had processed the pictures but they were never included in a post. I guess this was probably because the subject matter (urban/seaside/street) is very different to my usual work. It’s always rather fun to try something new and challenge your photographic eye.

Anyone familiar with a typical seaside resort in England will recognise some of these scenes which are likely to be replicated up and down the land. There is something very British about choosing to park your deck chair right next to a huge litter bin!

All the pictures were taken on the same morning with a Fuji X100v. It’s a great little camera for this type of work. Discreet, quick and easy to use, full manual control if that’s what you want and it produces excellent image files.

Weymouth is a very popular resort, not too far from home. With Autumn having well and truly arrived here in the UK it is my intention to head back to this location as I find these places more interesting out of season.

Until then here is a selection which makes a change from my usual landscape or church photography.

Beach Huts – the humble garden shed by the sea.

Beach Huts at Felpham

Beach huts are a common sight in many seaside resorts. They evolved from the wheeled bathing machines used by the Victorians to preserve their modesty. Often brightly coloured they take on various forms, but more often than not, they are quite simply the humble timber garden shed, sited on the seafront, in rows and rows, alongside their almost identical ‘brothers and sisters’. In some resorts they are owned and rented out by the local council; whereas others are privately owned and can command prices which are out of all proportion to their size, type of construction and their amenity. Location, location, location is the key phrase here.

The huts in the above shot are on a greensward adjoining the seafront in Felpham Village; a pretty area just to the east of Bognor Regis on the south coast.

Taken on a very different day, the picture below shows the beach huts on the other side of Bognor Regis at Aldwick.