Murray Ballard – The Shot I Never Forgot – Surfers, Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall, 2007
‘Surfers, Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall’ 2007
In October 2007 I was in St Ives for a week’s holiday with my (then) girlfriend. I’d graduated from the Photography course at the University of Brighton that summer and I had hardly picked up a camera since. After three intense years immersed in the subject I needed a break, but by October I was keen to get out and take some pictures again. Much to my girlfriend’s disappointment my large-format 5×4 camera went on holiday with us.
One afternoon I ventured out alone with my gear. The light was beautiful, bright and perfectly overcast, a large-format photographer’s dream. It might sound strange to some people, but I remember finding it really difficult to know what to photograph. At University I’d become used to working on projects based on specific ideas and I felt lost just wandering around without any particular purpose.
It took me a while, but slowly, over the course of the afternoon, I rediscovered the joy of taking photographs, just for the fun of it.
I have a new girlfriend now.