One Person and Their Shadow

Description

It was one of those rare winter mornings on the Gold Coast, the kind that feels like a secret between you and the sea. The air was crisp, the sky a piercing blue without a cloud in sight, and a strong westerly wind pushed clean, dry air out to sea, sharpening every detail like nature itself had switched to high definition.

I made my way to Broadbeach, the streets were still quiet, cafés just beginning to stir, and the ocean sparkled like a sheet of cut glass. I found a clear spot near the dunes, launched the drone, and let it climb, smooth and steady into the vast blue silence. From above, the beach transformed.

What seemed simple at eye level became something entirely otherworldly when viewed from the sky. The drone hovered directly above the shoreline, and I looked straight down, the lens capturing a stunning contrast: golden sand swept smooth by the wind, glowing like molten acrylic paint beneath the morning sun. Each ripple and grain cast long, delicate shadows, sculpted by the westerly breeze. The sand looked as though it had been brushed by an artist, not shaped by wind and time. And then, the water.

The ocean, shallow and crystal-clear near the shore, shifted from pale turquoise to a richer aqua. Light refracted in shifting ribbons across the seabed, abstract, flowing patterns that gave the impression of a painting still in motion. It was serene but alive, delicate yet powerful.

Then, just as I adjusted the frame, a single Person and there Shadow strolled along the sand below me. It cast a sharp, unmistakable shadow on the sand, a fleeting silhouette that mirrored its effortless flight.

One frame, one second, one perfect winter morning. And now, a fine art photograph that captures Broadbeach not as it’s usually seen crowded, sunburnt, noisy but as a canvas of pure, elemental beauty. The kind of day where the coast whispers to those who are listening: look closer, there’s magic here.