Racing the tides for a spectacular seascape

A bored David Clapp takes a trip to a local beach when the whole idea looks pointless, only to receive a blessing of a glowing sunset

In my early days of writing for photography magazines, the template exaggerated stories and spectacular I photographic moments were rife. The spirituality of landscape was being unlocked and I found this all too laughable. I have always fallen short of the religious experience they were describing. I would be found cursing as I stumbled over slippery rocks, then unable to get my cheap camera bag zip open. Then my camera would ERR01 after attaching my lens. On many occasions you would see me wrestling with stuck aluminium tripod legs, ceased from the saltwater, or running back down the beach after leaving a sizzling sunset too early.

It is a wet winter afternoon in 2008 and I have finished a round of guitar lessons. I head down to a soggy Bantham Beach car park on the South Devon coastline and make my way across the dunes. Then I walk back again and buy a parking ticket. See what I mean?!