The March monthly NDPS club trip was at Happisburgh with a meet time of 05:30.
The forecast was good and with a low tide, it would mean plenty of photographic opportunities.
Why have I called this blog ‘Grab and Smash’? Read on…
The shoot
We made our way down to the beach from the car park and with a low tide, beared left.
It’s always a shock to see the level of erosion here, particularly at this point where there is evidence of former dwellings taken by the collapsing cliff.
Many of us spotted some interesting shapes with sea water and ripples in the sand, and set up our tripods to take images of that.
Grab
As it would turn out, I stayed put on this spot for all of the shoot.
My first shot turned out to be my favourite of the morning.
I have a close-up which has a more warmer tone.
I tried a portrait orientation to see what would emerge. I quite like the contrails in the sky and their reflections, although, as we know, one must not have contrails in the sky (competition judges)!
I liked the ripples in the foreground so moved a little bit sideways and went back to landscape view.
A fellow photographer had put their drone up as they had hoped an overhead of this area could provide a nice shape.
I waited for them to land and asked if they’d got anything but they said it wasn’t anything special.
Since I hadn’t moved around on the beach, and the morning light was rising fast, I got the drone up and saw for myself that the water pool was a disappointing image from above.
That was a wrap.
Unlike many of the others, I had stayed put and wasn’t sure this was a good strategy for this shoot, but that’s how things ended up.
We wandered back along the beach and up the slope to our cars where coffee and chat was the order of the day.
Most of the others left but a fellow photographer Ian and I were chatting away losing all track of time.
Ian said he needed to scoot to lead the charge for a Sunday roast and he asked me the time. It was a few minutes before 09:00.
We got into our cars and left Happisburgh.
Smash
I drove out of the car park first, and decided to take the easy route through Happisburgh village.
I made my way onto the B1159.
I was in no rush.
The sun was shining, and I was feeling great having had a good shoot, a good natter over coffee with my photography buddies.
Kathryn and I had talked the evening before about potentially calling in at Strumpshaw but we’d left it open. I knew she would still be asleep and thought if I stop for a cheeky Maccy D’s at Wroxham, I will call her when I’m there.
I saw a car at a junction up ahead. As we all do, I had registered its presence and therefore it was like any other car, a potential hazard but nothing to be concerned about.
I proceeded towards the junction and as I expected was passing it when the next memory I have is that car flashing in front of me.
We had a full on ‘smash’ and my car ended up in a garden.
I am not going to write about any other details about this incident for the reasons that there are insurance and other matters yet to be resolved.
The main takeaway is that luck was on my side that morning and I’m very grateful.
I’m grateful to the couple who stopped and kept my mind off things while we waited for help.
I am very thankful to my friend Ian who was a few minutes behind me, recognised my car and stopped. It was huge comfort having someone I knew there.
Other photography buddies have also been very kind and I have appreciated their care and words of wisdom during my recovery.
And to my wife Kathryn who had a shock start to that day and has been wonderful in helping me recover.
I will now appreciate more than ever before what I have, and the enjoyment and friendships I have from my photography hobby.
Onwards and upwards..