I’m hoping this makes you smile

This photo is for you. I had in my mind that I would try and create a photo to make you smile. So when I released the day into my bedroom and saw the dazzling blue sky an idea burst into existence.

I thought how could you not fail to smile at the sight of my sparkling white English legs, loose for the first time this year on a bracing Welsh beach? There were other factors I hoped would also help: memories of time spent at the beach, the sight of consistently sunny Swansea (joke) and of course, my smiling face.

Then if all that failed to turn up the corners, perhaps the tale of what happened directly after this photo was created would amuse you. There I was, my lovely new Fuji XT2 on a little tripod – only a foot off the sand, blithely imagining that the sea was in retreat. The shutter fired and I looked over my left shoulder to see a wave racing towards me. I dashed forward, scooped up the camera and tripod and sprung up the sloped sea wall.

Unfortunately, the angle and surface combined to make clinging there until the tide had once again retreated a trial. Watched by a mother and her two kids, who had also raced out of the way – although they were next to the steps – I slowly slid back towards the water. Inexorably I neared its pooled edge.  Visions of soggy socks and frozen toes swam past.

Then with a single bound I was free!