April 3, 2025

A morning at the old harbour

The forecast promised rain, so naturally I headed to the old harbour. The café near the old harbour still serves the same cinnamon buns; I had two and pretended it was research.

I sat on a bench for almost an hour, just watching early light change as the clouds moved. Locals barely noticed me. A man feeding gulls told me the place looks completely different in spring.

Working with a borrowed medium format camera forces you to slow down. You think twice before pressing the shutter, and that changes the pictures. There is something calming about returning to the same spot and noticing small changes since the last visit.

By noon the crowds arrived, so I walked further along the path, where rain on glass were still undisturbed. Halfway through I switched to black and white, which suited the quiet weather much better.

A light drizzle started around ten. I sheltered under a bus stop roof and photographed people hurrying past. Shooting with a borrowed medium format camera meant I had to get closer than I am used to, which was uncomfortable at first.

If you go, bring warm socks and a thermos — the café closes early.