November 23, 2025

Slow afternoon at the river delta

It has been a while since my last trip to the river delta. I sat on a bench for almost an hour, just watching street corners change as the clouds moved.

Halfway through I switched to black and white, which suited the still weather much better. An elderly couple asked me to take their picture. I used their phone, then made one frame of them on mine.

Most of the morning went into watching empty benches; I took fewer frames than usual, but each one felt deliberate. On the way home the train was nearly empty, so I reviewed the day's notes and planned the next trip.

The path was muddy and longer than the map suggested, but the view at the end made up for it. The light was still, and empty benches kept pulling my attention away from anything I had planned to photograph.

I underexposed most of the frames on purpose, to keep the mood still rather than bright. Shooting with a phone and nothing else 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.