Leica

Colour, Light, and the Sea

Lately, I’ve been diving deep into refining the colours within my photography—a process that’s been quietly evolving over the last decade. It’s funny how something so subtle can have such a powerful impact. The first thing we notice about a photo isn’t the subject or the scene—it’s the colour. Before we even realise what we’re looking at, the colour sets the mood, the feeling, the atmosphere. It’s the first bite, that initial spark that pulls you in, often without you even knowing why.

For me, getting the colour just right isn’t about perfection—it’s about creating a feeling. And on the coast, with its endless interplay of light, texture, and nostalgia, colour does so much of the heavy lifting. It’s the first thing that tells the story, the element that whispers, “This is how it felt to be here.”

Photography isn’t just something I do—it’s something I feel. Especially along the coast. There’s a magic here, a sense that time has slowed down just enough to notice the small details—the ones you might walk past if you weren’t looking closely. For me, photography is about capturing those fleeting moments: the glow of a neon sign at dusk, the soft pastel tones of a beach hut, or the warm, golden light spilling from an old arcade at night.

Colour and a nostalgic palette

The colours of the coast are so much more than just scenery—they’re pure mood. They whisper of summers past and seaside holidays: the pale yellows of a melting ice cream, the cool blues of the ocean stretching out to the horizon, or the almost electric reds and pinks of a neon arcade sign flickering in the twilight.

What I love most is how these colours carry a kind of nostalgia. They’re cheerful but also bittersweet, reminding you of long days that felt endless but weren’t. For me, colour is the starting point—it’s where the image begins to tell its story.

Shadows, highlights, and atmosphere

Tonality is the quieter element, but it’s the one that holds everything together. It’s the way the soft shadow of a striped deck chair falls across the sand or how the light catches the edges of an old amusement ride, giving it a glow that feels almost cinematic. Tonality is where the atmosphere comes alive, where an image feels like it’s breathing.

I think of tonality as a kind of balance—like the ebb and flow of the tide. Too much light and it feels flat, too little and the details disappear. Somewhere in the middle, there’s this perfect harmony where the photo feels as alive as the moment it was taken.

The play between light and life

Contrast is the fun part—the playfulness in the process. It’s in the sparkle of sunlight on a freshly fried batch of chips or the bold glow of neon cutting through the fading light of a summer evening. High contrast adds drama, while softer contrasts let the quieter moments shine.

The coast I photograph is full of contrasts—not just between light and dark, but between the past and the present. An old mechanical claw machine sitting beside a brand-new row of flashing arcade games. A crumbling beach sign next to a perfectly scooped ice cream cone. These juxtapositions are what make the coast feel alive to me—a place caught between memory and the now.

Chasing that feeling

Photography, for me, isn’t about perfection. It’s about feeling. It’s about capturing the way the coast makes me feel: nostalgic, curious, and just a little bit enchanted. Every image is a kind of conversation—a moment frozen in time that holds something fleeting, something you can’t quite put into words but can definitely feel.

And that’s the beauty of this process. Whether it’s the soft tones of a sunset or the vibrant chaos of a neon-lit arcade, photography is my way of holding onto those moments that make the coast—and life—so endlessly fascinating.

The week in-between

You know the week, the one in-between Christmas and new year. The only acceptable time other than being on holiday where you can drink all week and apparently that’s fine.. ‘cos there's nothing else to do’. Well, I don’t need any encouraging now do I!

So, yeah some sore heads in the monrings but good evenings with family and friends.

And then we end it all with the final party on new years day for my birthday. What a great way to wrap up Christmas 2022.

Seaside street photo meet up

Welcome to the great British seaside town of Cleethorpes.

I know it is late and I have been meaning to put this blog post together for months now but i’m going to blame this on COVID, it is probably not COVID but you know, its been a strange time. Last year (2020) I organised a street meet up from a small group of photographers, we all met here at the seaside town of Cleethorpes. I’d imagine most of you reading this will recognise this place from all of my own photos - it is pretty much the place I exclusively shoot, because this is my home.

It was great to meet other like minded individuals from different backgrounds and all with a passion for photography. It is always great to be around individuals like this, I rarely get chance to spend any time with other creatives, let alone a whole day with a bunch of them! This opportunity was as much for my benefit as it was for the others to make connections with one and other.

It was such a great day and I certainly had a fantastic time shooting and witnessing how others worked my stretch of the beach. Something that I don’t often get to do as Cleethorpes is somewhat nestled away on the north east coast of the uk (for those of you that don’t venture to the north of England). It is always very interesting for me to see how others interact with the environment and what catches their eyes. I have become somewhat of a solitary photographer and as such find my own ways to photograph and make the most of situations. shooting with others and bouncing ideas was great and gives me a sense of what is going in my photographic peers.

A big thanks for those that came along and join in durrig the day, we did have a few others join us at various points through the day to take a few shots and to just say Hi. Below are the images form the guys that spend the full day shooting and sent me their favourite photographs.

Matt Feeney

Lewis Andrews

Mark Sugden

Michael Murray

Nina Weatherburn

Just to end…

Heres a few portraits if the guys that I quickly took whilst we stopped from some lunch.