Down by the Sea Shore

Or, He Says She Says She Sells Seashells Down by the Seashore

Have you ever had one of those inspired moments, where you realize you don’t want to be where you are for another second? Just such a feeling overwhelmed us last week. After days and days on end of rain and gloom, Atlanta was feeling rather oppressive. So, just like that, we decamped to our favorite spot on the Gulf of Mexico ~ Santa Rosa Island.

I cannot remember the last time I felt so peaceful and calm. The weather was perfection, the ocean breezes sublime, the light delicious and the colors mesmerizing.

We stayed in our favorite hotel with it’s glorious view of the gulf. We even attempted, in between beach walking and oyster eating, to do a bit of work. And speaking of oyster eating, I had NO idea I had such capacity for EATING OYSTERS. Oh. My. God. Oysters every day. Twice a day. Oysters Rockefeller, Cajun, Parmesan, Fried, Steamed, Baked. On a single day I consumed no less than two and a half dozen oysters. Mmmmmm.  Did you know that Apalachicola Oysters are listed on the official Food of the Gods Guide to All Things Good? Mmmmmm. Pardon me while I wipe the drool off my chin.

Can I tell you how scandalously decadent it feels to have a view like this while you’re working?

I think my favorite part of the trip was how few of the other humans were there. Solitude is hard to come by sometimes. We fell asleep every night to the sound of the surf and woke at sunrise each morning. We walked on the beach every evening and watched the sunset.

I decided leave my Nikon D700 at home, and only brought instead my Canon PowerShot A590. I love that little jewel. I’ve figured out how to rock it’s wide angle lens by tilting it off axis and paying attention to the LCD.

There are beautiful places all over the world, but I find it hard to believe any could be more beautiful than America’s own land of snow white beaches on the gulf side of Florida.

I’m sitting here smiling as I remember the sound of the breeze whispering through the sea oats. It was a perfect get away, with not one single thing amiss. We returned to Atlanta feeling greatly restored in body and spirit.

I’ll conclude with my grandmother’s sharp words to all of us wild and unruly grandchildren:

“Now git out from under my feet and go outside and play. And quit slammin’ that damned screen door!”

If you’re interested in shooting with wide angle lenses, check out this post:

Wide Angle Lenses Are for Portraits Too – Tutorial