In the Offing

I love the sea. I particularly love the way the sky and the sea meet. It is a place you can never go. It is the edge of the world in that moment.

It always reminds me of the moment when a long night at sea is finally rewarded by the first glimmers of dawn and the early promise of the day ahead. I associate it with those moments of arrival in new ports, and fresh discoveries and adventures ahead. ‘The Offing’ is often the moment of dawn and dusk which so many photographers, me included, find so inspirational.

Formally, the stretch of sea from just beyond the shoreline to the horizon is termed ‘the offing’. It is a nautical term and the phrase ‘in the offing’ was used in the past to describe the imminent arrival of ships at the ends of voyages because they had been sighted and would be expected reach the safety of harbour before the next tide.

I made this ‘Offing’ image in the early hours of a Mediterranean morning from a quiet terrace in southern France. For me, it captures the delicate palette of colours that so often attend sunrise in this part of the world. It is hardly surprising that a host of Impressionist painters headed this way; embracing the light, the warmth and the informal lifestyle.

I find images of ‘The Offing’ endlessly intriguing, whether in the warmth of southern Europe or the colder light of more northern climes. These photographs are always simple, because they embrace just two elements, but the interaction between the two - and not just at the ends of the day but at any time - is almost always thrilling.

It is why I spend much time making images of these endlessly changing phenomena, and why I call them ‘Sea Interludes’ in the Gallery on this site. The light from the sky shines down and the sea answers back. A simple but delightful interaction that seems to catch the essence of why almost all of us enjoy being by the sea.