A very British resort

September 4, 2016September 11, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 9 Comments

Take an English seaside town on a holiday weekend. The gods are smiling and the sun is shining. In fact, it’s blazing hot. Broadstairs on the Kent coast has all the traditional elements – commanding Victorian buildings, sandy bays filled with deck chairs and windbreaks, a plethora of beach huts. Throw in a fish and chip lunch at a pub, an ice-cream sundae at an old-fashioned cafe and a touch of sunburn, and you have a day of memories. It was the same for the throngs who joined us that day, bringing so many people into this pen portrait of British life by the sea.

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End of the world

September 13, 2015September 14, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 29 Comments

This remote nub of land on the coast of south-east England is like none other. Dungeness is not a fully formed seaside resort packed with amusement arcades and throngs of noisy sun seekers. It is a strange place, dotted with sturdy little cottages, two lighthouses and even a nuclear power station. An added touch of the surreal is a miniature steam railway that whistles its way to a most unlikely station.

The scrubby, shingle landscape is scattered with beached boats, tumbledown sheds and long-forgotten waste. But an array of beautiful flowers thrive in this apparent wasteland, while there is a sense of tranquility close to the sea.

I always wanted to visit Dungeness with my camera, but thought it too remote to reach without a car. It has a wealth of architecture, natural wonders and landscape to capture. But above all else is the depth of mood that you find there. Desolate and distant, even slightly unnerving – but fascinating and thoroughly photogenic.

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Wedding by the sea

August 16, 2015August 16, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 9 Comments

This was Kevin and Clare’s special day. They were married among family and friends in the Kent seaside resort of Whitstable, in a beautiful beach house very close to the shore. This understated celebration was full of lovely details, as was the setting. From the bridal bouquet left momentarily in the sunny garden to the little bottles of bubbles that became confetti, it was a day to savour.

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A day of gentle revelry was capped in the most spectacular fashion, with an intensely warm sunset that cast its light and shadows across the sea at low tide and onto the beach. It was the rightful end to a memorable occasion.

The street

July 23, 2015August 7, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 19 Comments

A little section of the Kent coast in south-east England has a magical little secret. At low tide off a beach in the charming resort of Whitstable, a shelf of pebbles slowly reveals itself, creating a pathway that leads out to sea. The urge to take a walk along ‘the street’ is irresistible, and visitors to this part of the seaside enjoy it in their droves.

It is a photographic gift to capture as it slowly grows and alters its shape. I was lucky enough to see it from a nearby beach house where friends exchanged their marriage vows, adding to a memorable occasion.

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Whitstable portrait

November 24, 2013November 24, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

I spent a memorable day in the Kent coastal town of Whitstable recently. It was a cold but wonderfully bright, sunny day while the sea was tempestuous and invigorating.

This seaside resort basks in glory compared to many around Britain’s coast. It has many regular London visitors who enjoy the rustic pebbled beaches, a pretty town studded with independent shops, not to mention its oysters and seafood.

It feels alive but with an old charm, and no air of neglect and sadness like its rival to the east, Margate.

It was a beautiful day for photography, with the powerful sea, details of seaside architecture and the beachside providing rich food for the camera.

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