Succinctly Yours Week 8

 Grandma's Goulash at Succinctly Yours hosts this microfiction meme. Each week she posts a photographic prompt for inspiration and the challenge is to write a story using no more than 140 characters or words. Below is this week's photo followed by my offerings.

'You’re tempting fate standing so close to the breakers,’ she said.

‘Nonsense,’ he replied as a wave broke over his head.

(120 characters)

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Lydia had driven to the coast while Ted studied the user’s booklet for his new camera, muttering to himself about apertures and focal length. Now she waited patiently while he adjusted the settings.

Never one to do things by halves, he had purchased two alternative lenses, a reflective umbrella, spotlights and several books on photographic technique. Lydia didn’t think these accessories were really necessary for beach shots but decided it would be prudent to keep her thoughts to herself. Ted was already edgy enough.

After fifteen minutes he pronounced himself ready and peered through the viewfinder. Lydia suggested that the monopod would be more effective resting on the ground and he grunted and planted it in the wet sand. Finally he pressed the shutter button then cursed.

‘No memory card,’ he said and they packed everything away and drove home.

(140 words)