First Contact

A Photo Walk with Brighton Photographers Group

It is accepted – in places and times of conflict, and with varying degrees of grace – that plans, no matter how sound they are, rarely survive first contact with the enemy.
This operation, planned with both diligence and foresight, under the auspices of Gill Golding, Dade Freeman and Glynn Roche was to be no exception.
History and Hollywood have shown, often in breathtaking detail, that taking a beachhead is rarely conducted without great sacrifice. This objective, in every way worthy of capture, by means either of silicon or celluloid, was to prove no different. The enemy – traffic, had yet to cast a vote though.

Shooters were being transported in from several points on the compass, yet an unforeseen and unforeseeable bottleneck was all the while slowing access, via a main supply route, to a mere trickle.

Command for the mission was provided with oversight from BPG (Brighton Photographers Group), compact, cohesive and dynamic, and possessed of a broad spectrum organic skill mix, this “hi-speed, lo-drag” outfit is that to which the elite camera operators aspire.

True leadership is often manifested in time of chaos, here too. The general staff,  were on scene, and events were dealt with as they occured.

A great afternoon, despite nasty roadworks. A dozen or so photographers, of various disciplines, met at Cuckmere for a scenic and social gathering, thanks go to all from this great group, and to Dade in particular, with whom I spent the majority of the afternoon chatting – to the extent that the photograph above is one of only three taken of sensible subject matter.