Issue 26

There are countless photographs of the West Pier in Brighton, making it difficult to capture a unique shot of it. Not that I didn’t try, mind you! I returned several times, on different days and at various hours, determined to find something special.

In the end, it was the woman gazing out over the ocean, silhouetted by the setting sun, who told the most compelling tale.

It’s a clear spring day on the British coast. Because it’s March, the sun is hanging in the sky for a little longer, and the days are beginning to warm. Why is she sitting there alone at half past three on a Friday afternoon? What is on her mind? What journey led her to that precise moment?

We will never know her truth. Yet every time I look at this image and absorb the intricate textures—the sun’s glow backlighting her hair and the skeleton of the West Pier in the distance—I imagine a new story, an alternate reality.

This is why I began labelling my images only with a place name: it invites each viewer to spin their own tale!

There are, of course, other perspectives. Many documentary photographers, for instance, believe that words can enrich a powerful image or illuminate the underlying truth. In the end, it all comes down to intent and context—there truly are no rules.