incredible color!
Wonderful

This is a wonderful photo! I just sat here for a few minutes taking it all in. The colours are incredible (the slow progression from brown to dark blue), but the man is what really makes the photo pop. I'm sitting here now thinking of what his life story might be and what brought him to the beach with his duffle bag.

i love the lines (waves) and the colors.
i think everyone can relate to this photograph. it is as simple as that.
one of my favorites!

It really makes me think for the TV show LOST over here in the states. Or maybe he's just quit his job and is about to step out in the world of endless oportunites. Just my take on it.

Very aestheticly pleasing :D great shot.

the title "space" and this picture remind me of being told that my love needed some "space" and i was left standing very much like this, wondering where to go

I think this is one of your best photographs yet. To me it tells the story of this older gentleman traveling across a great distance, possibly even the world, to come to this one particular beach to see the ocean for the first time or maybe visit the place of his childhood memories.

Very strong image dave!

Thanks.

Brad: I'm really pleased with this one too and have added it to my portfolio.

Outstanding!

He looks sad to be leaving the sea, maybe he is starting a whole new life somewhere and just went down to the sea one last time to say goodbye.

I think this is quite possibly the best shot you've done.

Yes, IMO it is also one of your best shots!!! I am always fascinated when a picture is telling a story. But yours can tell even more. Brad has mentioned one possible version and I have already three in my mind - and if I will look at the shot a bit longer I guess I will be able to tell you some more!
GREAT work!

i love the colours here, it looks like it was taken on some different planet. do you work for "hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy"? ;)

Bizarre! Unreal! This is real art. Thank you.

this makes me think of the life of reginald perrin

Love it! Will he stop?

This is a prococative shot. It makes me think of man's journey
through space and time and what he may discover along the
way. I love the mixture of colors and subject.

I do like it, waves are nice and flowing, and the sky is beautiful, and the sand offers a nice contrast in colour. When I first saw it, it reminded me of a scene from the movie 'Road to Perdition'. It looks like the guy has lost hope, at the end of his rope..disappointed in something, just from looking at his body language. It is a nice photo :)

Wow what a terrific pic! Evokes incredible imagination! I like to think this guy had some bad directions and missed his flight and ended up at the beach.

It totally reminds me of like tranquility and serinity. it looks so peaceful and calm out on the ocean and the sky is so blue it almost looks unreal.

It reminds me of a story that was in the news yesterday:
they found a man, at the coast in England. He wore a suit, it was wet.
He can't speak any language, he coulnd't even say a name. People don't know where he's from.
When people gave him pencil and paper, he draw a piano. When they gave him a piano, he played on it for hours. And still he couldn't speak... They're now searching for other people to help: they gave away his signalement, maybe he's missed somewhere, or maybe someone knows him and can tell where he's from

I was so intriged by this story. It really happened, yesterday I saw it on the news (in Belgium).
Do you know the story?

Your beautiful picture reminds me of it.

This is not a Magritte !

But ...

This is a wonderful photo!

it conveys a sense of hopelessness, of someone who has given up on something big, maybe someone who has lost all that he/she has had that was worth living for, they are sullen, head down, walking out to the ocean that is a metaphor for all that is vast and can swollow us up when things go wrong...the abyss...ahhh maybe not, I should have had a few pints of Guinness then had another look, I'm in the office pit, not that cheerful righ tnow, but after happy hour I'll interpret this another way...well done, very creative and worthy of your portfolio...~

This is a fantastic photo. For me it's telling a story, but not a happy one. The man looks sad, perhaps he's lost a loved one and has returned to a place of happy memories... I also see parallels with Reginald Perrin.

But there's the thing with a photo like this... It tells me a sad story, but others see new beginnings and happiness. I think it has a lot to do with your particular state of mind when you look at the photo. Maybe I'm not in a happy place right now, so I see a sad man reflecting on happier times.

Nice image. I think it leaves a lot for the viewer to consider - already you can see many people with many different ideas of what it says or represents. Compositionally, I like the man's slight lean into the open space. Reminds me of a picture I shot a long time ago... (not to hijack your thread) -- http://www.teamwetdog.com/Gallery1/muse-web-1.jpg

Robert

Could you stop taking photos for a while so that the rest of us mere mortals can have a go at it?

;)

Excellent work as usual. Any chance of a high res, wallpaperish version?

yes, I can see it, he pi into the sand!? :-))

Color, clarity, crispness, simplicity... very appealing; beautiful shot. :)

Obviously his pose suggests loneliness, sadness or something like that. I think that is accentuated by the fact that everything - sky and water - gets darker towards where the guy is. I find that brilliant.

Then again maybe he's taking a leak before going back to selling bibles. ;)

I think he's a travelling salesman having a bad day, trying to convince himself to think positively, and failing.

Going back to the recent comments about luck/skill, I do think it was lucky that the guy was wearing a black suit and carrying a duffel bag. If he was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and had a handkercheif tied atop his head and was half-way through a Mr. Whippy, it wouldn't quite have the same impact...

Still... an incredible shot. Hard to believe it's Blackpool beach!

Wonderful, evocative photograph. A man in a suit seems so out of the element, that your mind tries to account for the discrepancy. But the shore is a place where you can think, contemplate, clear your mind, make decisions....and then move on.

Dave
I've been there, where he's stood, in a suit, thinking about my next move in life, on a beach, great shot... My friday entry ....enjoy
CJ at www.id7.co.uk

Is something forlorn ahead or is he just at a midpoint on his journey to many happy times?

I see weariness, a stooped shoulder, a tired, compensating stance.

I see a man at a balancing point and the question is which way next?

"... I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged [at a beach], and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. "
-- Robert Frost

This is the kind of picture that to me really emphasises the true art of photography - and the photographer's art.
A painter can juggle the elements of a composition in his/her head, can experiment on the canvas - both with shape and with colour, can decide on a format ratio for the finished picture, and change their mind countless times during the lengthy process of creation.
The photographer sees, their brain makes immeasurable calculations and decisions in a split second, and they release the shutter. No matter what post-processing takes place, photographs start in reality, pure but not simple.
Nothing in this image is superfluous; it's a powerful 'stil' from the film of one person's life on this small blue planet. The sense of space - in any number of interpretations - is so powerful. It takes a rightful and prominent place in your portfolio.

Great Shot.

Wondering why it's so dark on the right side though

i believe this has to be one of my favorite shots on your site. Waiting for him to burst in to energy as a release to pure freedom.

Wow this really is a great pic. The contrast between the sky and the sand really makes this pic.

WHAT A GREAT SHOT!
this guy either just lost his job
his dog died
or hes reflecting about the one that...
GOT AWAY

Hey, as much as I hate to post like the first comment that isn't 100% positive -- since I really like the photo -- I think it does miss something in the sand. Honestly, all the steps in the sand kind of disturb me. They remind us that humans are everywhere, trampling around and with that -- possibly -- destroy our places of contemplation. I would have liked the picture much more if the sand had been (nearly) untouched. But, well, you can't always chosse -- plus, even with this "flaw" it is an awesome picture. Congratulations.

Nice. Surrealistic effect, creatign a sense of drama.

I think he is looking at the small object next to the water's edge. The downslanting head position and the hand in pocket together conjure some melancholy, but maybe that's not what was happening at all.

Which is not to say that the melancholic "takes" aren't correct - just that I'm not so sure.

So did you speak to him?

When I contemplate making photographs of humans "out in the world" (don't have a camera yet, but I do a lot of thinking about it), I often imagine that I would/will offer the subject of any of my one-person photographs [that I suspected would turn out well after processing] a copy of the photograph if they wanted it (by post, remeeting somewhere covenient to them, or by digital file if they have that capability).

Yes, I immediately thought of Reggie Perrin, too. "Neither I nor Mrs CJ got where we are today by wandering off into the Irish Sea!"

Excellent colours and composition. I think the angle of the chap's head tells the story - very contempative. Well done!

Surreal or what?!?!?

Grrreat! Suuper!

Adrian

Amazing photgraph!! I've been visiting here for a couple of months now and your photographs are always full of character and depth. What I wonder though is do you set these photos up? Or do you just happen to be at the right place at the right time? You have an amazing eye for the out of the ordinary :)

Keep up the good work!

Fantastic colors in this photograph. The gentleman seems sad. Why does he have his bag with him, in a suit, on the beach? I wonder.

It is serene. The gradients of color: brown sand to blue sky, it's continuity. Space!

dave, this is stunning.
As I know Blackpool a little....
The gentleman is on business, maybe a conference or meeting nearby, or maybe hes been on a stag weekend......taking a minute to relax on the beach, looking at the water, listening to it and taking that moment to relax.....before he turns around and either goes back to work or home to his life ... ;)

unbelievable colors and composition~
your picture really tells a story.

Did you use any filters on this shot? Any ND, or is this just with a polarizer?

Loved the color - the richness of the blue sky is awesome.

I find it suggestive and melancholic. Very good contrast.

Love the way that the b/w on the man's clothes and hair match is attitude in contrast with the beautiful colors around him.

Just awesome!! Many stories are conjured up looking at this.

by the somber pose I'd say that once upon a time he buried a loved one at sea, was missing them the day you took this, and decided to escape the pressures of work and come down and pay a visit.

I know this firsthand because I buried my father at sea 7 years ago, and have stood in that man's shoes.

dave this is one of your most fabulous to date. . .
really, really great.

death of a salesman instantly comes to mind...

very cool i love it, the colours are really well saturated!

Damn... this is ridiculously good David. Well done.

Dave, I don't particularly care to hear this story.

it reminded me of a painting concept i had once. the project was about surrealism and symbolism. this looks absolutely amazing.

ANother great last man on earth shot.

Amazing!

...and I am glad he is *not* wearing a fedora hat ;)

beautiful beautiful shot. so crisp, i love it. it looks so fictional too.

Dave, thats brilliant as usual.

Btw, this reminds me of a bit similar shot on my blog a few days back.

This is a BEAUTIFUL photograph! It makes me think of Magritte's surreal paintings, which I love. Great job!

Dave, this is a fantastic shot.
Let me ask you a question. Normally, at 17mm the horizon should appear a little curved, due to the deformation caused by the wideèangle lens. The horizon in your photo is perfectly horizontal. Did you work on this deformation in PS? Thanks.
Jacques

Thanks everyone. As I type (7.45am) this is my 9th most commented entry. It will be interesting to see where it ends up by the end of the day :-)

As for your questions:

suseu: no, I don't work for “ [the] hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy”. Wish I did though :-)

alan/peter A: it reminded me of Reggie Perrin too.

Kato: yes, I saw that story but I didn't hear what happened to him.

Chris: email me and I'll see what I can do about the wallpaper version.

Jeff: the right side is relatively dark because I was almost shooting into the sun which was a little way out of the shot (top left). I also applied a slight vignette to this shot which has accentuated the difference.

Magnus: I did wonder about the footprints, and whether it would have been a better shot had the beach not been trampled, but on reflection I think the implied presence of others adds something to the shot.

peter C: no, I didn't speak to him. He stood there for a while, wandered a few steps further then stopped for another short while, and then just wandered off along the beach. I think I would have felt as though I were intruding if I'd spoken to him.

Michelle: no, this wasn't posed.

mrda: just a polariser, the rest is Photoshop.

Jacques: no, I didn't need to alter the horizon. I think, because it's relatively near to the midpoint of the frame, that there isn't any distortion. What I did have to do was rotate this shot by about 1.6°. Because I was shooting towards the sun the viewfinder wasn't particularly clear and I composed the shot using the man and failed to take account of the way he was leaning, hence the horizon in the original is a bit skewed.

Amazing shot, the colours and contrast are amazing, i wonder what that guy was thinking.

I also wonder what he would say if he saw this photo, definately one of your best dave.

:-)
A great photo and I dont care how what was done.
It leaves me wondering if he was happy or sad

Dave,

Since you bought it up, I always wanted to know what is your most commented photo?

I actually like the vignette, it draws your eye across the picture, but sometimes it seems to be a little distracting.

Also, sent you an email, hope you received it. ;-)

Thanks,
Jeff

Dave,

Since I started viewing your work, I've learned that your best skills are for choosing the subject matter and composition, and then 'finishing' the image in Photoshop. I'm with you on the 'alteration discussion', namely, Photoshop is nothing to be ashamed of and positively encouraged.

Finally, I figure that this one was inspired by the 'Piano Man', right? ;)

-L

Dave - if the photo is not staged, how does it fit in with altering an image to fit a preconcieved idea? By the way, the photo not being staged makes it much, much more impressive in my opinion. This really is a nice image.

i have to admit i didn't read through all your comments this time...

but judging from the number of comments, it just reaffirms my view that this is one of the better photo of yours. It has your style in it!!!

Somehow it seems like another "staged" photograph with the light coming in strongly on the left. Looks like a huge spotlight than anything else!! hahaa...

Dun blame me for being naive but this old man looks like he is going to commit suicide!! hahaa...bringing his luggage, maybe he is leaving this land?

i simply love the composition and i'll try my very best to replicate this one day.

Jeff - if you have a quick peek at the archives, you'll see that, under OTHER PAGES ETC. there is actually a drop down menu denoting and containing the 50 most commented entries. to date, the most popular is 'more tea?', and rightly so - though i do feel as though the response to some photos has been particularly disappointing. oh well.

Dave - i think i'm going to have to agree with david (near the top) with this one. though little can be told from his facial expression (stating the obvious - well done, alex) his stance (head lowered, shoulders slumped, feet close) suggests deep thought - though, what is interesting is that, despite the direction he is facing, he's not looking that way. evidently, he's not there for the scenery - just the memories it carries.

though you may have thought it rude to 'inturrupt', perhaps he would have appriciated having had some one to talk to? obviously - not on a phatical basis.

regardless - another truly incredible photo. the moment you go pro, be sure to drop me a line. you can be living proof that there is a way to jump the gap of photography and photologging :) as ever, an inspiration to us all.

..have a cookie.

Just adding to your comment count really :-) but great photo!

Only too happy to bump the comment tally up on this.

It's heart achingly gorgeous. The colours, the subject matter, the untold story.....

wow. 71 comments. well deserved too! this is simply outstanding.

He's the Piano Man!!

He's waiting for his ship to come in.

Very nice color.

I love it, you could hardly have done better if you'd paid someone to go down there and pose. I do think the colours are a little 'dark' overall but that's being picky. Superb shot.

Oh and this is the second shot I've seen today that looks like a pick floyd album cover!

Very nice, I love it.
For some reason, it makes me think of a Pink Floyd album cover :)

Shit, Miles beat me to it :/

dm.

Nice. Glad to be comment 80

This photo is utterly rubbish for the reasons below.

1. The man is 0.1mm out of alignment
2. The horizon is 0.0776 out as well
3. The shadow could be darkened by 0.2 percent
4. The clouds shoud have been slightly higher in the sky ie you should have waited longer
5. The sand could have been a bit more messy

Ha Ha - did I get you going or what !!!

Nice picture - John

a moment ago it was only 67 posts... haha i think this will rock your records!

now that i take a second look at the picture, i feel that

1. the sand seems overly saturated
2. the vignetting at the horizon on the right is overly done. The top right sky is perfect but the horizon is a tad too much for me...
3. even though i can comment, i doubt i can do anything similar to what you have done.

your shot today is so amazing it drew me back for a second look in less than 3 hours.

This belongs on a Pink Floyd or Alan Parson Project album cover.

what a beautiful day.. what a beautiful day-y
really nice work!

Are you kidding me?

This is one of your best shots visually. The colours, the man, the well angled shot. I am overly impressed.

I think that this deserves to be above "Signs" for the most comments.
Don't you?

Maybe I'm going crazy, but the waves appeared to move when I looked at this one :) Great stuff!

One of the best photos I've seen posted to a photoblog, ever.

Really amazing work, David.

He is not sure , but something inside whispers " go".
Hearing the waves ,in front of the unlimited sea , looking his shoes ,waiting for a sign .
Hidding the empty hand ,All his life in the bag , no way back : he deserves his revenge!
The waves whisper " GO O o o h h " .

yes, lets make it a full 100!

Wow and awesome. This is one of the best shots you've ever taken Dave. I'm blown away by it. It is stunning on so many levels. The colours are amazing but what I love most about it is the contrast between the almost tropical beach scene and a figure who would not be out of place on a grey day in any city. And M: he looks lonely to me but maybe he's just admiring the view.
S
PS Surely a photograph that you should be mailing to some galaries?

back again, I really want a stroll along the waters edge now....

Yep I agree with all the comments here so far. It is just one of those pictures that make you relate to the man in some way.

My Guess is that this man maybe lonely and is somehow seeking comfort with nature.

I'm sure we have all been to the edge at sometime in our lives and just needed some space on our own.

Wow, thanks everyone. I've been busy at work all day today so haven't been able to check the comments – 93 is pretty amazing, and when I post this one this will be my second most commented entry after more tea?.

So thanks again, it really is appreciated.

It's at times like this that I wish I were aiming for an image a week rather than an image a day, because in a little while I'll have to to something else up – and only have one shot to choose from, and it's nowhere near as good as this one. Oh well ;-)

If all your photos were as good as this one we'd have to come round and steal all your cameras. :-)

Having said that, I'm not too sure about the colour of the sandy water on the right. Could just be my monitor, of course. Which is another discussion in itself.

Can't think of anything to say that hasn't already been said, so I'll settle for 'Fantastic shot - again!' ; )

A few thoughts on the making of great "Art"...

It's almost always about framing the questions elegantly and "seductively", and then leaving them unanswered.

It's about knowing what to leave out.

There are only two stages that all artists are ever in - "practising", and "mastery".

This photograph is mastery.

I'm a little late to the party, Dave, but I just wanted to tell you how much I dig this photo. The scene, like your More Tea shot, is full of emotion. This is your best of late. Well noticed and expertly composed.

Stunning. Wonder what is in the bag?

Dave,

Not to negate all of the positive commentary you've received on this "Man by the sea" photo, but I do feel that -- despite its obvious redeeming qualities -- it's hauntingly close to Your Standard Stock Photo. It's so simple that I can too easily imagine it in an ad for monster.com or something. However, as an independent entity -- that is to say, without such a consumerist background corrupting this photos connotations for me, this photo is appreciably talentful.

As for the story of this man: He's on a break from work and wanted to spend a few minutes by the ocean. He's not about to run into the water, and he's not a tortured corporate soul. He just likes the smell of the ocean and needs it to stay sane with his busy schedule. His wife sometimes wonders if he's cheating, but he really just needs some quiet time between the office and home.

Wow, just wonderful. No more to say, just - 100 comments seemed a little too tidy.

i am going to make it 102. this shot is really awsome. btw, why would the man walk towards the sea?

Wow, very impressed. I don't think I EVER saw so many comments on a shot. I hope you'll forgive all of us that don't have the time to read them all before commenting (so forgive any repetition :-) ) Great, great shot. First it has such saturated color but second this guy just makes it perfect. It's a shot, you just look at and can't get away from for some reason. Your work is an inspiration and the many comments on this one well deserved...

Dave, my first comment here although I've been visiting daily for ages, what a picture!

I agree with the comments above and could see the picture being used in an ad campaign, it's that good.

Ben

This shot is fantastic.

This is one of my favorite shots of yours. It almost looks like the guy is black and white which brings even more to the photo. Seems like a guy just lost his job and he is wondering where to from here. I'd love to have this at a larger size for wallpaper. Excellent!

oh my gosh, i love this photo.
i cant say anything else, it is almost perfect.
maybe the sand could have been a little smoother.
it would look more lost then.
anyways, it is fantastic. thanks.

Great shot. perfect.

[[ Not to negate all of the positive commentary you’ve received on this “Man by the sea” photo, but I do feel that — despite its obvious redeeming qualities — it’s hauntingly close to Your Standard Stock Photo ]]

I'm going to have to agree with Andy here. This type of shot is a cliche and can be found in stock photo listings from here to, well, the other side of the ocean.

I think you have much more powerful work deserving of greater praise. This one really doesn't do a whole lot for me.

(now begin the flaming)

phule: I don't think you're in any danger of being flamed - it's yesterday's news now ;-) As for this being like a stock shot: I agree, but this was unposed, and for me that makes a difference.

111 comments. Impressive. I could name many others that I liked x102103012 more, it's funny how different pictures affect people differently. Congrats man.

Superior imagery as always!

Tied for first.

Lovely work.

The photograph is well executed but what I like most is the thought of a well dressed business man being on a beach. What is he considering? Suicide, the beauty of the day... disappearing? This is a book cover image...

this is your most commented on photo now! congrats! =)
this really gives you the sense of "space", but i found it a tad bit depressing...my first impression of it was that the man was all alone in the world, probably due to the amount of "space" in it. i felt sad for him. then again, that may not be the case... ;)
but i think that makes this a good photo - it evokes certain feelings, plus you can't help but wonder about what is going on in his mind.
great job!

I imagine that he's a space alien waiting for his ride home.

beautiful, dave. thought provoking and beautiful.

Very beautiful image, I love your work.

This shot makes me think of the series Lost.

Absolutly beautifulest ! :-D

!!!!!!!!!!

wonderful Dave! Paris texas 2005 ;)
Congratulations!

#123.

meh.

This is brilliant. Very surreal, with the man (apparently) dressed so inadequately for his surroundings... The colours, the composition, everything is spot on! One of your best, I think.

This is a great shot. Very striking and memorable for me.

I was recently at the beach in Singapore, when a boy walked into the frame and looked down at the water. Your picture sprang immediately to mind, so I took a picture which is inspired by yours, albeit located halfway across the world.

Well, everytime I look at this photograph again I get another thought.

Now I think that this man has his wife in the bag.
He killed her and now doesn't know where to go with the dead body.
So he put her in that bag and now wants to "bury" her in the ocean.

The brief case always ment much for the man, but he went into retirement long before. He thinks that burying his lovely wife (he couldn't stand her anymore) in that case would be the best to abandon the period of his life he didn't really like.

Later he will sell his house, well, he didn't really like it anyways. All the stuff and furniture was picked out by his wife and he never liked her flavor.
He will buy a new house in the Caribbean and start a new life - which won't be easy, because the local police is looking for him all the time.
So he uses Botox to remove all his wrinkles. And he will dye his hair.

Looking twenty years younger and having pink hair, the man opens up a little store called "She Sells Sea Shells" and he will behave so unconspicuous that noboy even gets the idea that he is a murderer.

"... and he never liked her flavor."
I ment "...her taste."

Well, in German it is the same word, you know.
Bye, Love, Vivien

Call me a purist, but I'm always a little disappointed when a photograph has been altered in any way other than in a darkroom printing process.

Denise: nothing that was done to this shot couldn't have been done in a darkroom.

This is one of the most emotional photographs I have ever seen. To me it seems that the man in the photo is thinking over his life and his memories, he remembers playing on the beach as a child. It seems that he is totally alone and has nothing, no family or friends left, all he has is what he is wearing and the bag he is holding.

wonderful photograph.

Me estaría comentando fotos tuyas todo el día porque realmente son todas buenisimas. Me encanta tu manera de ver el mundo y como lo compartes con aquellos que ven tu fotos. Felicidades por tan buen trabajo y gracias por mostrarlo. Saludos.

It took me a while but I finally found the photograph that this reminds me of. It was on John Perkinson's site, Orbit1, in one of his galleries.

http://www.orbit1.com/static/galleries/winterprelude/wp7.htm

I love both photos, the way they depict a sense of space within their frame and now, some five months after I first saw it, this image strikes me like no other image you've posted, Dave.

Peaceful and hopeful picture, it communicate directly with soul.
Dr.

Great Picture,

it reminds me the work of Storm Thorgerson