I often find myself taking the same photo over and over again. Obviously my eye is drawn to the subject. I do try different angles, shifting every so slightly to capture the best light, something different in the background, or looking from another direction.
Sometimes I’m not even aware that I’m taking the same photo until I’m reminded–by a scroll through my images or a reminder of a memory from Facebook or my photo album.
But today I knew.
My Friday schedule let me take advantage of a nice low tide at midday. I could feel the sun’s warmth as my bare feet traveled over the wet sand and was glad for my light sweatshirt in the low 60s early spring sea breeze. When the tide is low and I don’t feel rushed for time, my turnaround point is lifeguard tower #19. #19 is also a favorite local surfing spot and a popular dining spot for sandpipers.
If you look north from #19, you can see Swamis–another popular (and famous) surfing spot with its iconic palm tree topped hillside. I often take a photo or two with that view…like I did today.
And as I looked through my photos, also back in November and December!
Occasionally, I find myself taking another perspective, giving yet another view of #19. (The tide was too high on this day for my usual perspective, I was forced up the hillside to avoid getting wet!)
I’m not sure what all this says about either the lifeguard tower or me as a photographer. But I did find myself thinking about William Carlos Williams and The Red Wheelbarrow. (April is National Poetry Month and I’m planning ways to motivate my students to write a poem a day for the 30 days of April!) So, using The Red Wheelbarrow as my mentor text, I played around with thoughts of the blue lifeguard tower. Here’s my attempt:
Blue #19
I keep photographing
a blue lifeguard tower
sprayed with sea mist
watching the sandpipers and surfers dance
©Douillard
Thinking Through My Lens 
What a beautiful subject to photograph. I can see why you come back to it. Your description of today’s weather was lovely, too!
Ah, Kim! This post is right up my alley! Beautiful photographs, reflection and a great poem. A trifecta! I’m often drawn to the same subjects when I’m taking pictures, but I think this is true in writing as well. I have writing territories and photography territories, and I love it when they overlap or one sparks the other. Love this post!
Kim, my photo history is similar, because we notice the beauty around us, the daily rhythms of our lives. Loved the image of “sandpipers and surfers dance.” You are fortunate to have such a lovely ocean beach to walk on; rather humbling for us humans. ~ Sheri