Failing Staircase

 

Due to a sad turn of events associated with my eleven-year-old dog, I now have more time to discover and go places I haven’t explored for a while.  I’ve decided to walk along some of the beaches which I’ve ignored for a number of years, carrying my camera, and looking for interesting things which speak to me. 

So, every Tuesday and Thursday I head out to new spots along the coast and begin the walk.  I don’t have a set time to give, but the walk is both ways, since I park then walk to a point where I need to return the same way. 

But alas, I have renewed an old discovery:  always look behind you for a different perspective or to see what you may have missed.   So going out I am looking from one perspective; returning I am looking from a different viewpoint.  Try it.  It is amazing what you see; also, the light plays differently. 

My goal is to find interesting images to produce a fine arts book associated with the local beaches.  So, in this blog I will present images from time-to time reflecting my discoveries:  From a Series:  A Walk along the Beach.   

The first image is the below:  The failing staircase.  There is an area south of Carlsbad, CA where there are a number of private residences perched on the tall bluffs above the beach.  Some of them have remnants of staircases which wind down to the beach.  Most of these private stairs have become neglected due to beach erosion and the effects of the wind and weather.  Many are totally unusable.  

I stopped to think about the money it cost to construct the staircase, the upkeep and maintenance yet all the fun and happiness that was transported up and down those stairs.  I could almost hear the laughter and joy associated with heading down the long staircase, but it was canceled by the pounding surf.

This particular staircase caught my eye with the various architectural elements:  weathered wood, rusted metal stakes, stained concrete, and a single rock.  The grainy, gritty and dirty wood and other material components provided a wonderful moment for a “Failing Staircase.”