sand | Thinking Through My Lens

Good grooming is important–even when it is the beach that is being groomed.

During the summer, our local beaches are full pretty much from sunrise to sunset leaving no time for maintenance other than keeping trash emptied and restrooms filled. But during the winter, seeing heavy construction equipment on the sand is not all that unusual.

Bulldozers are used to push sand into big piles, offering protection from the higher tides that accompany stormy weather. And sometimes beaches with “extra” sand are able to share the wealth with other local beaches suffering from a lack of sand.

I’m really not sure exactly what this big piece of equipment is being used for. This is not my usual beach. It’s a few miles north–not far from where I get my hair cut. And with a few extra minutes before my appointment time, it was the perfect micro-vacation getaway. 15 minutes on the beach is always worth it–and the rain held back so I could snap a few photos of the stormy blustery beach on a Wednesday afternoon.

As I walk along the shoreline, I can feel the grains of sand under my feet. Along some stretches the sand feels smooth, almost like quicksand where my heels sink in the sponginess of the saturated surface. The sandpipers see this place as their seaside restaurant, poking their long beaks deep into the sand for a meal.

Some places are firm…firm enough for bike riding when the tide is low, with surfboards secured in sidecars to make them easy to transport.

Sometimes that sand underfoot can be scooped up to create magnificent castles, complete with moats and and a seashell flag on top.

Other times what’s under your feet is floating on the surface of the water.

When the tide is high, there’s not much place for feet at all…and even the lifeguards have to be careful that they can get their vehicles through as the tide rises.

And where are the feet that belong to these shoes? Probably out cooling off in the Pacific Ocean…the perfect summer solution for underfoot!

So what is underfoot in your life this week? Capture the surface your feet find themselves walking on this week, or maybe these things–physically or metaphorically–that seem to be tripping you up.

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #underfoot for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

My feet seem drawn to the sand…where are you finding your feet? I look forward to seeing how you interpret underfoot through your lens!