Imagine stepping out in the morning to a very cold, strong north wind. Then imagine thinking, “Ah, a great day to go to the beach!” Sounds crazy, but if you are a surfer on the west coast of Florida, that's how it is. The Gulf of Mexico is notably placid, and surfers only get waves during inclement weather. Even then, by Pacific standards, the surf is pretty puny.
A couple of days ago a strong cold front passed through, associated with the infamous Polar Vortex. I headed to the best surfing area (such as it is) and the beach was relatively crowded. Most of it was in harsh sunlight, so I found an acceptable area (for light) and waited. Finally a young, athletic young man passed by and I met him. He thought that 100 Strangers was a funny concept, but did not resist. I almost always do head shots, but under the circumstances, I thought it best to include the board.
As I peered into the viewfinder, something was wrong – I could not see Cavin. I had recently had this problem after switching lenses. Even thought I felt a 'click', apparently the electronic contacts did not meet properly. So I began to fiddle with the lens when Cavin said, “The lens cap is on.” Oh. If I was a professional photographer, this amateurish error might be a disaster. As an amateur senior citizen, no big deal. Cavin thought that it was a hoot, and that only helped the experience. (Maybe I should start a string – who has forgotten to remove a lens cap?)
