Some moments are defined as much by choices as by what actually happened. How a frame is cropped, what is allowed in or left out, the small decisions that turn a fleeting instant into something expressive, all of these help tell the story. It’s about taking a spectacular moment and turning it into a single still that conveys its movement, scale, and the feeling of being there – Spectacle in Stillness.
Round The Island Race
Every year in July, the annual Round the Island yacht race takes place. What began with just 25 entrants in 1931 has grown into one of the world’s largest yacht races. Starting in Cowes, hundreds upon hundreds of boats set out to circumnavigate the Island, sailing 50 nautical miles through strong tides, shifting winds and incredibly busy waters. Needless to say, the sight of so many boats rounding the Island is something truly spectacular to behold.
Weather permitting, I try to photograph the race every year, always hoping that the timing aligns and that the wind is in the right direction. This image was taken on 1st July 2017. I made my way to the Blackgang Viewpoint car park before walking up onto the cliff top, where there is an uninterrupted view across the Island’s west coast – a sweeping 10 to 12 mile stretch from St.Catherine’s Point all the way through to the Needles.
Just as I settled into position, the main fleet came into view around the Needles. It was an extraordinary sight; countless boats scattered across the water, all moving in unison around the western edge of the Island. It almost seemed impossible that so many vessels could occupy the same stretch of sea at once.
I couldn’t believe my luck that day. The wind shifted to a downwind direction and, one by one, the spinnakers were raised. What had already been a remarkable scene suddenly became something even more striking as the fleet turned into colour in motion.
This image captures the essence of that moment, the seeming impossibility of the scale of the event. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Needles chalk cliffs, the water is cast in shades of turquoise revealing changing depths as the sunlight breaks through the moving clouds overhead. The waters are vast and yet there is a vessel in almost every part of the sea, each representing another crew, a different story unfolding.
I am often asked whether this image is real but everything you see is as it appeared on the day. I also took a panoramic using a long lens panning left to right. This image can be seen below and shows the impressive moment in its entirety. In fact if you look closely at the panoramic you will be able to see the exact section I then chose to photograph.
Ultimately, I had only one still frame to convey the experience of that moment. My decision was to focus on the Needles cliffs as the backbone of the composition, placing the scene in familiar
Gates to Heaven - Steephill Cove
Steephill Cove is a favourite place to be, if not my favourite place on the Island. And so it’s the place I chose to experience my first full moon shoot, it also happened to be the largest full moon of that year, roughly 14% larger and 30% brighter than a typical full moon – the June 2013 Supermoon.
It was an amazing experience to walk the cove with only the available light of the moon. I became aware that the brightness of the moon meant I had no need for torchlight, such was the intensity that night. As I rounded the corner the seascape was revealed. The supermoon hung in the sky, massive and utterly breathtaking.
It appeared so much larger than normal, as it reflected off the sea creating a pool of moonlight shimmering like a pathway. The sounds of the waves gently lapping the shore, my feet crunching the gravel, the air still felt warm… as I walked along by the shoreside homes, I noticed that one of the front gardens had white gates opening out towards the sea like an invitation. I waited patiently for the moon to line up perfectly with the moon and I realised I had the shot.
Taken at just past midnight on the 24th June 2013… this was only two weeks after I had captured my first Milky Way photograph with my new camera and this was my first time shooting the moon. It was a time when my nighttime walks with camera in hand were my medicine, one of the only thing that helped me through my anxiety. It created a layer of focus, a way of allowing my mind to completely immerse itself in the process of taking a photograph.
There’s a certain type of silence at night, a quiet solitude that is hard to describe. A strange sort of thrill at being there in that moment and having that knowledge that I was the only soul witness to this spectacular moment. But now I could capture it, and share it with others.
In the middle of the image, you’ll notice a pink lens flare. It’s caused by the moonlight reflecting through the layers of glass in the lens. While lenses often have coatings to minimise flare and protect contrast, it sometimes ends up helping the shot, and in this instance I think it did.
When I looked at the frame, I realised that the shot took on this beautiful symbolism. The white gates became the pearly gates, the arc of light caused by the moon and the pink lens flare became a spirit entering through the gates, its’ why I chose to call it ‘Gates of Heaven’.
The reason I chose this night photograph out of everything I captured in 2013 is because it carries a deeply personal significance. My nan was a devout woman and out of everything I photographed this was the image that she connected with and wanted to own. She even had it framed herself (before I offered the service) and it hung on her wall. Then when she passed, my gramp became the keeper of the picture, and when he passed it became the sole thing I inherited. It hangs in my home and so it is a shot that really resonates with me for so many reasons but most of all because every time I look at it I think of my nan.
Thank you for taking the time to read and follow along. These images have been a quietly important part of my journey – moments that have shaped me not just as a photographer, but as a person. I hope their stories have given you a glimpse of the experiences and influences that continue to guide my work, and I look forward to sharing the next chapter with you.
We often don’t notice it in the moment, but the right person at the right time can change everything. I hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate those who have quietly sided, supported, or believed in you along the way.
Thanks again and I’ll see you again next month!
Living in a town it’s something I will never see for real myself, so thank you for sharing this video Chad, it’s truly amazing. Who would have thought you’d see them this far south.