Hot on the heels of my recent Coney Island outing, I decided to head over to Asbury Park on the Jersey Shore before everything shut down after Labor Day. The Saturday was a picture perfect day so out I headed! I love Asbury Park, but like every beach town with a decent pulse, it now is changing. Old buildings being torn down, high rise condos going up.  I fear for all the murals along the boardwalk.  So I go a couple of times a year and enjoy it for what it is now and hope for the best.

Anyway it turned out to be a great day to photograph and I think I got some good ones. As per my usual, I start at one end of the boardwalk and walk all the way to the end. Then I turn around and walk all the way back. Great exercise and great for taking in some good scenes. I had to wait to almost to the very end to make what I thought might be one of the most interesting pictures of the day. Turned out to be the last frame on a roll of 120. So I sat down on one of the scattered benches, unloaded my film and started to head back towards the car. Only I saw the same scene from a different angle. Same people … but different.

By this time I’d been walking for several hours. I know a lot of folks would have packed it in. Too much of a pain to load another roll for one more picture that might not be there when you return.  Fortunately I don’t operate that way so back I went and I’m glad I did! A much better picture I think, but the proof sheet will tell the tale. And if it’s not I gave myself a second chance to do better.

After that I headed back, walking again down Fourth Avenue past the Asbury Lanes bowling alley. Funny thing, while walking by it the first time I didn’t see the picture, but this time I did! Another second chance!

Two in one day!  Not too bad.

Stay well,

Michael