Earlier this summer I had the unexpected opportunity to capture an incredible sea fret during a family trip to the Yorkshire coast.
We arrived at Hunmanby Gap, just down from Filey on the Yorkshire coast, fairly early and we were greeted with a really interesting morning mist.
A misty morning is perfect for photographing silhouettes
The background mist meant that tonally there was very little difference in brightness between the sky and the beach so I immediately started looking for interesting silhouettes.
The beach was still quite quiet when we arrived, but shooting into the sun in the direction of the oncoming mist provided absolutely perfect conditions for silhouettes.
I already had in mind that I wanted these images to be black and white but to be honest, it was such a monochromatic scene it wouldn’t have looked significantly different if I’d left the images in colour.
I attached my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. The telephoto compressed the depth in the images which helped to further isolate the subjects against the ‘tupperware’ background.
Looking for that perfect wide shot
As the beach started to get busier I started to see a really interesting scene starting to unfold in front of me. Up to this point I’d been focussed on single subjects but I saw a number of different mini stories taking place in front of me.
We had children playing in the sea, people walking their dogs, families walking along the coastline, people doing hand stands all with the ominous morning mist rolling in behind.
It felt like there was a fantastic photograph waiting to be captured so I stopped briefly and watched the action taking place in front of me, scanning the scene waiting for the different elements to align.
At that point I saw a young boy running across the beach from frame right towards the sea and as he reached the perfect spot in the frame I captured the following image.
It’s not perfect. I didn’t really capture the image I had in my mind but I do think it’s a fascinating image. I love how many tiny stories are all happening in this single frame, and the slightly wider viewpoint really emphasises how the mist was rolling in up the beach.
What is a ‘Sea Fret’?
When we’d first arrived at the beach I assumed this was just a typical morning mist that would soon burn off. However, as you can see from the images above, rather than burn off the mist got lower and started to roll in across the beach.
What I hadn’t realised at the time was we were experiencing a sea fret. A sea fret is a peculiar phenomenon that takes the edge off the warm summer days and can be so thick and dark it appears like smoke. Officially known as “coastal fog” by weather experts, it is more commonly known as fret or sea fret on the Yorkshire coast.
As the fret moved in the effect was dramatic. You couldn’t see the water’s edge at all. I’ve never experienced such a sudden and dramatic change in weather. People were wandering around the beach unable to see more than a few metres in front of them.
They say “The best camera is the one you have with you…”
As we were trying to find our way back up from the waterline to where we’d camped on the beach (the strategy being keep walking until we can actually see the wall and then take it from there) I looked up and saw a scene that perfectly captured the incredible phenomenon we’d been caught in. There was only one problem – my camera was sat with our things further up the beach.
I silently cursed myself for not having my ‘proper’ camera on me but I grabbed my phone (an iPhone 12 Pro) from my pocket and grabbed the scene. They say “The best camera is the one you have with you” and this was the perfect example. It turned out to be my favourite photo of the day.
A huge part of photography is being in the right place at the right time. I’d never even heard of a sea fret before this day but to find myself caught in the middle of one was a bizarre experience. Whether you have your ‘proper’ camera on you at all times, or just your phone in your pocket, it’s always a real treat when an unexpected photographic opportunity presents itself to you.
I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to capture this one. A side of our magnificent county of Yorkshire I’ve not seen before!
