Wednesday, 23 May 2012

"S" is for sun, sand but not sea, the beach is back!


The Manchester beach is the place to be in your sunny lunch hours this week. Other outdoor spots like Spinningfields and the grim Berlin Wall-like Piccadilly Gardens are far too busy for my tastes. Mainstream canalside favourites Rain Bar, Duke's 92 and all the bars under and outside the arches along Deansgate Locks were all packed yesterday too, so I'll see you at the beach this lunchtime...

My ideal beach is really a quiet one with a long stretch of sand, where the only sounds are that of the sea and children of all ages having fun (e.g. on the west Wales coast), but urban beaches somehow lend themselves to the loud music and a certain brashness, accompanied by the sounds of trams and trains trundling overhead. I guess I simply appreciate it as a real bonus on a work day!

Linked to ABC Wednesdays  and the Weekly Top Shot blog .

24 comments:

  1. I love this picture, who said Manchester was all grey and rain?

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  2. Cool tiltshift effect. Looks like a nice place to spend a few hours on a fine summer day.

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  3. Wow Chrissy, this picture is adorable, I like the blue ball and the effect is wonderful in this picture!Lucky people there , they can enjoy the sunny day in so cool place!
    Léia

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  4. fun, but not too long!
    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

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  5. Cool shot and beach. Looks like you are having some nice weather. Hope it lasts all summer.

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  6. Great looking place Chrissy!

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  7. What a fantastic place to have lunch!!!
    Ann

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  8. Great composition Chrissy. I haven't figured out what you did but I like the effect..

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  9. I like it! Today was certainly beach weather. Nice photo editing!!

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  10. You should also show the part edited out.

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    1. Not sure what you mean Abe. This was the complete photo, with a tiltshift effect.
      The beach is just a small sanded area by the canal and under the bridges and arches at Castlefield. All in all it's a successful urban regeneration area which started in the early 1980s.

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  11. Wish I could go to a beach! I am now following your blog.

    S is for..
    Rose, ABC Wednesday Team

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  12. Looks like a great place to escape from the office.
    Joy - ABC Team

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  13. Fun shot Chrissy, like the city in soft focus approach. I learnt a new word from one of the youngsters at work today that describes your picture - coolio. Apparently it means beyond cool, but I expect you know that already having teenagers around!

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  14. The blues (ball, man's shirt, sky/train) bring Symmetry to this wonderful shot.

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  15. Great place and great day in our cities:)

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  16. Looks like the place to be!

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  17. Such a great idea Chrissy, if you can't get to the beach..bring the beach to the people! Love the tilt shift effect, one day I'll learn how to do that haha!

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  18. Very nice scene, I like the tilt-shift effect!

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  19. Sorry but that tiltshift photo is piss-poor. You are supposed to take them at a high elevation looking down on a scene in order to make the landscape appear like miniature objects.

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  20. I do know that Kieran. I was not using the tilt shift to try and make things look miniature on this one but as an effect to focus the centre and to blur the top and bottom to create another artistic effect. I have successfully used tilt shift effect for what it is intended in the past...

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  21. lovely shot.

    would love it if you could join in with my monthly photo challenge
    http://serenityyou.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Photo%20Challenge

    Natasha xx

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  22. What a great place... the colors are so rich and the light intense I can feel it all the way over here in Seattle! Thank you for sharing on Weekly Top Shot #32!

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