The scene is powerful: a set of boys playing football, running on the sand, with a sun setting on the horizon. The warm orange of the setting sun warms the colors of the sky and, as it spills onto the surface of the water, the golden color dances effortlessly across the gentle waves. Puff clouds float across the calm sea, as if painted into the shape of the setting sun, lending a certain softness to the fading light.
In the foreground a set of two boys sprint across the beach, their feet stirring the fresh, grainy beach sand as they sprint with zeal after a rather vigorous-bounce. The boys could care less about anything other than the vibe and the thrill. Their ‘positioned shadow’, set efficiently against the golden horizon, actresses energy in a movable format, placed against stagnancy. As the boys delve deeper into their hastiness, there are other children standing in a level of bungled excitement, the relaxers of an impromptu 7’s team, slightly frozen while they await the next round of playing ball.
The ocean also reflects the rhythm of the game, as the tides gently lap against the shore while maintaining a tempo that echoes the sandy horizon. The sand is imprinted with clusters of footfalls, remnants of children’s laughter and joy before the setting sun drapes the ‘happy’ sand with its sunset hues. It’s a beautiful, peaceful contrast of the energy of human playfulness through nature’s calmness.
It is a photograph of innocence and nostalgia, a reminder of the days where the simple sunset meant that you had a little more time before the fun ended, where joy meant you were just a boy to romp on the beach with a ball, friends and priceless, endless sand.