Durdle Door

Following the evening at the cliffs in Dorset, the next morning I dragged myself out of bed and headed down to Lulworth Cove, hoping for a dramatic sunrise.  As dawn approached and it remained cloudy, it was clear this wasn’t going to happen!  After a brief exploration of the cove itself, I decided to carry on along the coast to Durdle Door.  This was the first time I’d visited the site, but I was already very familiar with the rock formation as it’s a very popular subject for photographers.

I made my way halfway down the steps to the beach, where I took the above shot showing the view across the bay.  A polarising filter and longer exposures helped to bring out the colour in the somewhat dull morning.  After taking the wide, often seen shot, I moved down on the beach to get a shot along in the opposite direction from the door, and a close up of the door.

Pulpit Rock

That evening, I headed down to the Isle of Portland, planning on exploring the southerly tip and getting a shot of the Portland Bill lighthouse.  This again didn’t turn out as I’d planned.  As well as it being quite crowded, I couldn’t find a composition with the lighthouse which I liked, so I turned my attention to the rocks along the coast.  One particular (which I later discovered is known as Pulpit Rock) at the South West point was catching the light perfectly, I was able to get the image below in between getting splashed by waves, and waiting while people clambered all over the rock!

Back to Durdle Door

The following morning, my last on this trip, was spent back at Durdle Door.  This time the weather was completely different, with a pink hue to the sky just before dawn.  I know it’s a cliché but I’m very pleased with the result!

I really enjoyed my brief trip to Dorset, I’m looking forward to exploring (and photographing) much more of the Jurassic Coast!