My last trip for 2019 was in Dungeness – Kent, UK. Dungeness beach lays on a private estate in the Romney Marsh, it is formed mainly of a shingle beach in the form of a cuspate foreland created by longshore drift extended outward to the ocean.
I got to know about this place while chatting with a fashion photographer who is a friend of mine, he went there with a couple of models for a shoot and ended up being kicked out because he did not get the proper permits from the estate. He told me that I would love the place and the desolate feeling. I immediately looked it up on the internet and contacted the Estate to get the permits in order, I was told that as long as I will not be using any models, lights, and so on, there weren’t going to be any fees to pay. This made my plans even easier.
As always, I researched online to get an idea of what am I to expect from this place and found some interesting shooting opportunities. When I arrived there, all I could see was a vast beach with a huge spread of shingles, I can still hear the shingles cracking under the sole of my boots every step I took. I got there first thing in the morning and the first thing I did is to scout the place and get close to the remains of the boats which are scattered all over the place, I realized that most of them lay facing West and the morning light would not be ideal to shoot. I planned my shoots during the afternoons which gave me enough time to roam and get the best possible angles without having to pause for the harsh light of midday, I had till sunset to explore all the possibilities.
I spent three half-days with these haunting effigies making the scene seem outward. I needed to break the ice and started a conversation to get a better connection with my subjects. One of the boats ‘Rebecca’ still had her name written on a wooden board, I thought maybe it is one of the last boats left to rot, I could still sense a hint of life hidden deep inside the carcass. So, I decided to give a name to the other boats as well.
The weather was dull, wet, and sometimes the wind blew at very high speeds creating a lot of camera shake especially while using graduated filters. I still managed to shoot during the short instances of good light, most of the time it was cloudy and the clouds were moving fast making it ideal for long exposure images without having to lengthen the exposure time and avoid camera shake in the process.
During the second visit, it rained heavily and at a certain point I had to shelter myself and my bag under the stern of one of the boats, it was hailing the size of golf balls. I spent almost half an hour till the weather calmed down.
It is interesting how these wrecks, which once were tools used by fisherman, now lay there as if just a mere illusion in time. They give this desolate place a mood of a post-apocalyptic movie.
