On West Wittering Beach

On West Wittering Beach, 2006

Don’t they grow up fast? This picture stopped me when I saw it this morning. It was taken six years ago and the children have all grown up so much in that time.

This evening started off warm and bright and put me in mind of the occasional trips we used to make to the beach after school and work on summer evenings. My wife would bring the children down to West Wittering beach where we would rendezvous for a picnic. As soon as the food was finished or they become impatient the kids would rush down to the water for a swim and a splash.  The beach is very shallow at Wittering and on days when the tide was out this could take some time.

On this particular evening we had taken down some plastic rings for the kids to play on. I tried to get some shots of them in the water but it was difficult to get a good composition from the shore with the children playing out on the water. I knew my best chance for a picture would come when they came back in after their swim, but I would have to make sure they would all be together so that I could get a tight composition. As they came out of the water I asked them to gather together and then to race back to Mummy. I can’t remember what the prize was, but they shot off. I had one chance, when they were together and running animatedly. Fortunately I caught the moment, and made a memory.