Portobello Breakwater

This minimal composition of one of the timber groynes stationed along the Portobello foreshore is taken on a day when the distant Fife coastline disappears into the haze. If you spend enough time along the Firth of Forth you’ll soon discover that sea haar - a fog that is created by warm air passing over the cold North Sea waters - frequently blankets the coast with a cool thick mist. Photographically, this presents fantastic options to capture beautifully minimalist images both at the shore, and all the way in and around the city centre.

Days like these are hard to plan for, although this composition does work well on a clear day, it’s just not so minimalist and dramatic. The haar (sea fog) casts a flat light to the scene. A long exposure makes sure the incoming tide also appears misty and really pushes focus to the striking timber structure which leads the eye into the distance. These conditions are great for black and white photography too. If you have a tripod in the wet sand, then be aware that the tripod legs can very slowly sink over a long exposure which will blur your shot.