Hi, my name is Brad, and I'm a beach photographer-aholic."
Admit it – you just said “Hi Brad” in your head didn’t you 😉
"It all started innocently enough—just a quick trip to the beach to clear my head, maybe take a few photos of the waves. But then, I discovered the wild, untamed beaches—the ones where nature reigns supreme, where the cliffs meet the sea in a dramatic embrace, and the only footprints are my own. And that's when the addiction took hold.
I remember the first time I went on a real binge. I had no idea what was coming. The sun was rising, the tide was just right, and before I knew it, I was snapping away like a madman. Seagulls, rock formations, the way the light danced on the water—everything needed to be captured. Hours passed, and when I finally stopped, I had taken 437 photos... in just two hours. I didn’t even notice my memory card screaming for mercy.
But did that satisfy me? No. I started chasing the next high—longer sessions, bigger waves, more rugged coastlines. I'd find myself driving for hours at hours of the day when the rest of the world were sensibly sleeping warm in their beds, just to find the perfect, deserted beach where the sea meets the sky with no human interference. Scaling cliffs, traversing crevices, just me, my trusty little Olympus camera, and the endless possibilities. I'd tell myself, ‘Just a few more shots, and then I'll stop.’ 'Just a few more shots' turns into ‘Just one more SD card,’ and before I know it, the sun is setting, and I'm standing knee-deep in the ocean, still clicking away.
And then there’s the editing. Oh, the editing. I’ll promise myself I’ll be quick, but suddenly, it’s 3 AM, and I’m buried under a mountain of images, trying to choose between 17 almost identical shots of a wave crashing against a rock.
I've tried to cut back, I swear. I told myself I’d limit my beach trips to once a week, but then I hear the call of the ocean—the irresistible pull of a new storm on the horizon or the lure of a particularly moody sky—and all my resolve crumbles like sandcastles at high tide.
I know I have a problem. My hard drive knows I have a problem. But being honest—I don't want to stop. The thrill of capturing that perfect, wild moment on a beach or rock shelf somewhere is just too good to give up. But ….. I'm okay with that. Because there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being out there, on a wild, untouched beach, camera in hand, with nothing but the sound of the surf and the wind in your ears. I might have a problem, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world."
Happy new week everyone!
