A walk in the dark for photography at Horton Tower, Dorset.

Horton Tower, Dorset

Going out to the car at 2.30am seems madness to some, but I know a walk in the dark for some photography at Horton Tower, Dorset will be worth it.

landscape photographers everywhere will understand why.

The air was very warm and very humid which is unusual with a clear sky and especially in England.

Horton Tower, Dorset, is a brick folly built in 1726 by Humphrey Sturt.

The tower is 140 feet tall and is a grade two listed building.

I parked at the end of Batchelors Lane and the post code for this is BH21 7EP if any one else would like to go and shoot it.

You can reach the tower by walking down the lane for about 15 minutes to the very end where you will find a stile that takes you into the field where the tower sits in all its glory looking like a gothic structure that you expect to see a dragon curled around the base of.

It was full of sheep and no dragons when I went so mind where you walk.

I arrived about an hour before sunrise (Flashlight essential) and on the walk to the tower there was a lot of wildlife about including Tawny Owls, Foxes and Fallow deer.

Once in the field its a walk over the grass up a gentle slope to the tower itself.

Rain was forecast for the morning so I was hoping for a good sky and wasn't disappointed, the cloud slowly building and the red light enhancing the colour of the brick tower beautifully.

Sunrise at Horton Tower, Dorset.

I stayed for for a couple of hours shooting from different angles, stopping to enjoy a coffee from the flask and breath in some of Dorset's most beautiful countryside. I think photography gives you time to be with nature and with yourself so on a morning of very rare tropical warmth and humidity what could be better than leaning back against this amazing building and watching the sun rise.

The camera and lenses used on the shoot were a Nikon D850 and a Nikon 24-120 and Tokina 16-28.

The selfie was taken with an iPhone 14 just before leaving.

you can see my portfolio here- https://www.spefineartphoto.com/

Hope you join me on the next one.

All my best,

Simon.

On a mission. Me the camera and Horton Tower.

Storms and surf at Kimmeridge Bay Dorset?

I don't think so....What we had was a beautiful calm day on the #Dorset #coast at Kimmeridge with a few showers and a flat sea.

The drive down to #Kimmeridge Bay, #Dorset was promising with a lowering sky and looked good for the anticipated thunder storms.

I stopped at a view point at #Ridgeway hill after passing through #Wareham. The views from the Ridgeway path were stunning looking out over the misty valley.

Beautiful misty landscape of the valley from The Ridgeway.

On arriving at #Kimmeridge, I found it virtually deserted. It was warm and humid with that calm before the storm feel about it.

The information point in the carpark was near the path.

Kimmeridge Bay information point

I walked down the steps to the beach which could be difficult for some people and started to work. The Nikon D850 paired with a Tokina 16-28 is a fantastic combination for landscape (and astro photography) so I am told but I haven't tried that yet.

The #Jurrassiccoast lives up to its name and ammonite fossils could be seen in some of the rocks.

The Stairs back up to the carpark at Kimmeridge bay, Dorset.

There are lots of photo opportunities there so after about an hour on that side of the bay I decided to head back up and drive to the other side of the bay near the slipway.

I was chatting to some people from Edge Progressive Paddling Kayak club as they were getting ready to enter the water. A really nice group of people so anyone interested here's the link to their website. https://edgepaddling.com/ They kindly allowed some Photos to be taken and used.

Edge Progressive Paddling Club.

Edge Progressive Paddling club at Kimmeridge Dorset.

View along the beach to the #ClavellTower at Kimmeridge.

Finally back on the cliff top, enjoying a coffee and feeling that warm sea breeze around me made me very grateful and realise that working as a landscape photographer is a blessing.

Kimmeridge Bay Panorama.

I can't wait for the next trip!! I wonder where that will take me?

Storm Warning For Weekend.

After a long dry spell we are promised high temperatures and possible storms at the weekend.

I shall be heading out with the camera and hoping to caputure another image like the one below. This Photo was taken at Poole Harbour and shows a lightning strike on Brownsea Castle. Lucky to be in the right place at the right time? I think so but also keeping a close watch on the weather apps on my phone certainly helped. With the heat that's been forecast I will be freezing a couple of bottles of water to take with me. Not only do they act like ice blocks to keep my lunch cold but they are really good to drink as they defrost.

Stay safe anyone that's preparing to do the same and good luck with the shoot.

Lightning In Poole Harbour during thunder storm.