A fisherman waded straight into the middle of my sunrise shot at Point Judith. I was not thrilled. It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.
One morning I grabbed my gear and headed down to Point Judith, chasing what every photographer dreams of—a sky full of drama and a sunrise worth framing. The clouds were looking promising, the air was brisk, and I had my spot staked out.
Just as I was getting everything set up, this fisherman strolled past and hollered a cheerful, “Good morning!”—then promptly waded out into the surf. Right. In. The. Middle. Of. My. Shot.
Fantastic.
Annoyed, I cranked up the volume on my iPod and started singing—loudly. Off-key. With purpose. This is usually how I reclaim empty beaches. Most people retreat quickly when confronted by a sunrise photographer belting out ’70s rock ballads.
But not this guy. He didn’t flinch. Just gave me a glance over his shoulder and kept casting. He had his spot. I had mine. Neither of us was moving.
The sky ended up fizzling out, refusing to put on the show I was hoping for. So I started looking for a new angle—something else to tell the story.
And wouldn’t you know it? That fisherman I was trying to chase off became the entire heart of the image. Instead of a lighthouse-centered shot, I captured something better: a lone fisherman working the rugged Rhode Island coast, with the lighthouse as a quiet reminder in the distance—an extra in the background, adding context and a whisper of the sea’s danger.
Not the photograph I set out to take, but sometimes the best stories are the ones you didn’t plan on. That’s the magic of photography—staying open to surprise, and learning to love the uninvited guests in your frame.
The takeaway: The subject you’re trying to chase off is sometimes the one your photograph actually needed.
This lone fisherman working the Rhode Island coast, lighthouse quietly standing watch in the distance, tells a richer story than the shot I originally planned — a grounded, human piece for anyone who loves coastal New England. See the print options.