Close Encounter

Drove out to the 'Ice House' on the West Pier, a square concrete building where fish fresh from the trawlers are sold each day. I knew it might be interesting for blips, and I wasn't disappointed.

There was another guy with a camera there before me, taking pictures of boats I think. He walked to the edge of the pier, then beckoned to me. When I looked over I got a wonderful surprise. A seal was staring up at me. I had never encountered one this close before. Apparently there's a gang of about five who hang about waiting for fish-scraps.

I took several photos from various angles (such as THIS ONE) trying to get some kind of contrast into the picture. I shot a few close-ups too. During this time two others came and joined their friend; they might be a family for all I know. In the end one of the simplest shots worked best, having just enough contrast (I think) between blubber and landlubber.

I debated using THIS SHOT as the main blip, which would have made for a nice overall narrative, with a sense of suspense. But I fell for the seals, wonderful creatures. The way they turn tail-up in the water is gorgeous. Despite the stormy weather they carried a sense of heavyweight calm, like dense, compact summer clouds. And they exuded immense patience, sitting there in their watery armchairs, even though I must have disappointed, looming like a dry old gargoyle with one big glass eye. D.H. Lawrence has a little poem about lizards. The last lines are: "If men were as much men as lizards are lizards / they'd be worth looking at." The same could be said of seals.