The ocean hates me, that's what it is.

Regular viewers may recall the PADs of 27 and 29 December last year where I was playing with my new 62mm variable ND filter for the 12-40 lens. Once I started shooting I realised that such a filter would probably be more useful for the 40-150 given the need to get in close on a solid subject to allow a blur around it.

So with the post-Christmas sales including free shipping, I hopped on the computer and with a few clicks a 72mm version of the variable ND was winging its way to me. Ah Interwebz, whatever did we do without you?

So the next weekend (this weekend), off I go to play with that.

I spy a rock, larger than a pebble, smaller than a full rock, in the sand. I like its location, the indentation in the sand, the way the light is hitting it, the way the water is washing over it each time a wave rolls in. I set up and wait for the next wave.

Which does not come.

With each wave, the top of the water is further and further down the sand. "Huh, tide must be going out", thinks I. I briefly consider moving the pebble down, but it would lose its isolation (it was in a patch where there was no seaweed, shells, etc) and probably the light angle too, so there's no point. I pick up the tripod to move further down the beach in search of a different target and the gorram second I turn my back, I kid you not, the very second, the water comes up and washes over the pebble.

"You {dramatic pause...} b@st@rd.", I hiss at the sea, which ignores me. So I set up again quickly and start shooting. And yes, the next wave covers the pebble but in my haste to get the tripod back on line I haven't tightened it up enough or planted it firmly enough in the sand and the pebble itself is, at best, mildly blurred. Not hugely (I would have noticed when the preview flashed on the screen had that been the case), but enough to be useless for the type of shot where you want to contrast perfect stillness with movement.

So in the end I went with one of the "B" shots from the morning, with the water rushing over a rock formation further up the beach.