These four shots were all taken at Formby Point on Merseyside a few miles north-west of Liverpool. It’s a fabulous wind-swept stretch of coastline, with a wide, open-expanse of beach, lined with magnificent sand dunes.

I hope these shots combine to make an interesting complimentary set, because although they are of essentially the same subject (taken from virtually the same perspective and processed in a near identical high-contrast style) I think their many similarities only serve to emphasise the differences in the patterns in the sand.

Whilst I was taking these shots I wasn’t sure they were going to work. I was concerned that the lack of a stronger foreground object would leave them looking a little bland. However, keeping low to the ground; using a wide-angle lens and increasing the contrast in post-processing, have all helped to focus attention on the textures in the foreground – which in my opinion hold just enough interest to carry each shot. I also feel that had the foreground been any more prominent that it could have distracted from the drama in the sky.

What do you think?

Copyright: © The Photography of Mark Simms (2012). All rights reserved.