A bright winter day brings a wonderful benefit: long shadows. Often a matter of being lucky and at the right place at the right time, the long shadow is at its best extending the movement of people…

(300 words, a two-minute read)

The opening shot was taken while walking behind a family. It was a Sunday afternoon and we had been strolling behind them on the promenade at Heysham. As the prom approaches the village, it climbs steeply up a small cliff. At that point, the shadows in front of us, cast by the early setting sun, became extended. I had finished taking photographs for the day but I grabbed the camera from my coat pocket and pressed the shutter – not even sure I’d get a shot. I was delighted with the sheer joyfulness of people and shadow this produced.

This shot, above, taken on the same Sunday, is one of my favourites. I was focussing along the promenade, playing with the linear effect of the wide tarmac surface in the bright sun. Two cyclists appeared in the distance and the potential began to unfold. As they got closer, I forgot the longer shot and tried to get the timing right to capture the moment the shadows reached their maximum width for the lens.

The final one, above, is more shape than people. Morecambe is doing a fine job of bringing itself up to date, spending a fortune on its prize possession: one of the longest promenades in Britain; with an unparalleled view of the Lake District thrown in. As a lover of Art Deco, for which the town is justly famous, I’m delighted that they are using the styles and (here) curves of the period to enhance the increasingly impressive seafront. The monochrome medium simply increases the contrast, beautifully.

©Copyright Stephen Tanham, 2021.

Stephen Tanham is a Director of the The Silent Eye, a journey through the forest of personality to the sunrise of being.