Blog

Dorset Landscape Photography : Winter storms at Hive Beach

This weekend saw one of the highest tides of the year which was accompanied by some reasonably strong onshore winds of force 6 and above. The result was some very dramatic weather.



I had gone down to see the sunrise as the forecast has promised broken cloud. However, the sky was covered in dark and gloomy clouds, and although there was a very small break for a couple of minutes, it was mostly a grey and overcast morning.

The water was pounding up the beach, breaking over the small banks by the car park, moving the small local fishing boats back out to sea, coming up into the lower car park area infront of the cafe, and hitting the cliffs with such force that the resulting waves and spray were as tall as the cliffs themselves.



The sea spray was getting everywhere, including all over the lens, so I apologise as a couple of the shots are a bit blurry. The spray was being caught by the winds, rising up and over the cliffs and forming a cloud of its own.

I tried a long exposure shot while I was there, and although the lens took a load of spray during the shot, it has a misty effect I quite liked.



I hope you enjoy the results.

Dorset Landscape & Seascape Photography : Kimmeridge Bay

My first post for 2011 as I gear up to produce some great landscape and seascape shots from our wonderful county, Dorset and further afield.

Its not been great weather this last week, so I haven't been out much taking photos, but this weekend things changed ... in all sorts of ways.

Saturday saw a high tide along with a stiff onshore breeze which caused some wild and dramatic weather down at Hive Beach and along the cliffs .... more on this later.

I also spent Saturday down at Kimmeridge with Ross Hoddinot working on an assignment for DSLR Magazine, which I can't say too much about at the moment, but all will be revealed just as soon as I can.

I decided to return to Kimmeridge again this evening as the weather was good and there was a reasonably low tide, which means the many ledges, rocks and piers are uncovered waiting to be captured.

I met up with one of my photography buddies, Mike Ayles, and we set off round under Clavell's Tower to see what we could find. Kimmeridge Bay has double low-tides and we were catching it just as it was rising from the first low, heading into the 2nd a couple of hours later. This meant that the ledges we were on were getting quite wet, so we quickly moved back round to Clavell's Pier.

The skies were completely devoid of cloud, and although they were a wonderfully deep blue, there wasn't a lot of cloud to add colour or interest to the skies. I decided to get the Lee Big Stopper out and turn the scene into a magical, misty seascape.

Using the 10 stop filter, I used an exposure time of 6 minutes which turned the water milky and misty and smoothed out the gentle waves that were lapping up the pier.

A very Happy New Year and I hope you enjoy the shots.

As I was travelling over to spend Christmas with family, I had to go close by Christchurch Harbour and Mudeford Quay to drop off presents to friends. As I got close the sunset was developing nicely so I parked up and got the camera out ready for a lovely sunset.

The tide was out and the mudflats were uncovered with the evening light reflecting off the wet banks and the swans and ducks were enjoying the newly exposed mud to dig around in to find some food. It was a chilly night, with many people out watching the scene develop and taking a few photos.

The sun was setting out to sea, down behind Hengistbury Head (one of my favourite places to visit and go walking)and the clouds were breaking up across the sky, reflecting the colour too, so it was a lovely sunset and great start to Christmas.

After the sun had set, the temperature dropped again and the sky cleared very quickly of the remaining clouds, so I packed up and headed to visit my friends.

I hope you all had as good a Christmas as I did and I'm now looking forward to New Year.

As the fire crew of Bridport were on standby today to dig out anyone who got stuck in the snow & ice, they joined thir children to build some serious snowmen, infacnt a pair ... his and hers snowmen. I passed them on the way up to the top of the hills by the A35, overlooking Eggardon Hill, where I nearly got stuck and had to turn round to make sure I could get back home.

Another cold and snowy day, with many folks getting stuck on the roads. Here's to a thaw!

The shop is now open on the website.

All of the images on the website are now available to buy, in a variety of different sizes. Some sizes are listed below the image, but many other sizes are also available, so if you cant see what you're looking for, please make contact and I'll get back to you with details.

A number of the images are also available as A5 greetings cards. There is a minimum order of 5 cards so please either select 5 different images, or go to the 'Shop' page where I have added selection packs of cards for you to choose from.

Payment options include PayPal, but if you wish to pay by cheque, then please contact me so we can arrange that.

Thanks to all those who have ordered so far and I hope this will make it even easier to order from now on.

Today brought even more snow (overnight) and left the area under a white blanket, so I stayed local and had a walk about Bridport and ended up in West Bay as the sun set. Just for fun today, and a few gallery shots for the Hive Beach Cafe.

I woke this morning to a smattering of snow covering everything you could see. NOt deep, but everything was white, so I headed off to the beach to see what it was like down there.

Sunrise over the beach was quite a spectacle this morning. I even met one of my blog-readers who was out taking her own pictures. Good Morning Barbara!

It was a mixed day, with snow, sunny spells, snow clouds blowing across the valleys and then more sun.

I spent the day driving around various bits of the local area to capture the scenes.

I hope you enjoy them.

A lovely sunset developed tonight with the sky getting a deeper and deeper blue, the high level clouds lighting up golden and then going into dusky pinks. It was lovely.

I was down at Hive Beach and after trying a few different angles and viewpoints, decided asto use the local fishing boats as the foreground. Using a Lee hard grad 0.6 filter to allow some detail in the foreground, the sky and its colours set the boats off wonderfully, with the light reflected off the water and the boats themselves.

As time went by the clouds dispersed and the colours faded, leaving a golden band along the horizon for some time after sunset.

The forecast was for mist and fog this morning, so I got up to check it out and found thick fog rather than low lying mist. I decided against going out early, but did pop up to the cliffs near where I was working today to see if the fog was rolling off the cliffs or anything else was going on.

As I got to the top, I saw this enormous golden globe of the sun hanging in the sky, just above the horizon and just below the fog and cloud bank. I grabbed my camera bag and ran to the fence where I wanted to take the shot, and just managhed to get off a couple of shots before it disappeared into the fog. I was lucky enough to have my Sigma 10-20mm lens already on the body as I didn't have time toi change the lens even.

Somewhere in the fog is Portland and Chesil Bank with Cogden and Hive Beaches in the foreground.

As I got up expecting to see the predicted mist or fog laying over the fields, I saw clear skies and nothing else. I had a quick drive around the higher ground around Bridport but there was no mist at all to be seen, so I set off towards Abbotsbury to watch the sunrise over Portland, Weymouth and Abbotsbury.

The skies were clear and there was little or no colour in most of the sky, which was all looking a bit disappointing.

As I got to the top of Abbotsbury Hill, looking over St Catherine's Chapel and out towards Weymouth & Portland, there was a bank of a few clouds near the horizon which was beginning to light up as sunrise neared.

I drove down the hill and took off one of the side roads, to position myself directly in line with the chapel and the sunrise, to make sure the colour was directly behind the chapel.

Over the course of the next few minutes the skies glowed and those few clouds looked amazing. I hope you enjoy the capture as much as I did.

Another weather forcast of mist across Bridport got me to rise early and head off towards Quarry Hill today. The mist was light, but still gave the valley some atmosphere wit the hills peeking out from above the mist banks.

Towards the coast and the cliffs of Burton Brastock, Chesil Bank and Portland beyond, the mist seemed to be thicker, more like low lying cloud, with Portland not even visible through the bank. The sun was slowly rising behind the couds giving the halo effect to the top of the cloud bank, while throwing some lovely golden/orange light into the sky.





It was a cold morning and I had to head off before the sun fully rose, but a lovely view from the top.

An early start this morning after an early Christmas supper with friends last night. I passed by Wimborne to see the fields covered in a light frost and a slight mist rising from them, so I stopped and took a couple of shots before I set off home.

Sunday was set aside for lunch at 15 in Cornwall, a long standing promise, which was superb by the way.... a lunch of Gurnard accompanied by fennel & alioli, scallops on a skewer of rosemary.

As I was down in Cornwall I went onto Trebarwith Strand, a place I had always wanted to visit. With a sky-full of high level Cirrus clouds it looked like an amazing sunset was on the way, but as we neared the time, the clouds dispersed leaving a much lighter covering, along with a tick bank near the horizon. As a result there was a light covering of colour across the remaining cloud cover.

On the way down to the Strand from the village, we encountered 2 sheep out for an afternoon wander, constantly stopping, turning round to look at over their shoulders, and frowning. I wish I had captured that for the blog!

It was very cold this morning in Burton Bradstock, reaching about -6 degrees overnight and early morning leaving a thick frost over everything in its path. As the sun rose there was a bank of fog over Bridport and the surrounding area blanking out the sunrise, although it did manage to peep through about 10 minutes later.

The picture shows the view from the top of the cliff, overlooking both Hive Beach and Cogden Beach, down towards Portland.

As the sun was shining over Bridport and West Dorset this morning, rather too brightly (as I got up late), I headed off to Dorchester and Wimborne to see how it was over that way. As I got to Dorchester, I hit a bank of fog, which stayed all the way to Wimborne, so no pictures of the Minster in the snow/ice/mist.

I headed back and as it now getting towards sunset, I drove up to Hardy's Monument to gain a high vantage point over the valleys towards Dorchester and out towards Portland.

The sky was very grey and Dorchester had disappeared in the fog.

Over night we got hit by a heavy downfall of snow so I set off for sunrise to take some pictures across the area.

I headed down to Hive Beach as I wanted to capture it covered in snow, but by the time I got there, not only were there many sets of footprints in the sand, but the snow covered rocks were beginning to melt. I walked along the beachfront, trying to avoid leaving footprints behind me, to find a spot not already spoilt by others feet.













After getting stuck in the car park for a short while, I headed off to St Catherines Chapel to see if I could repeat my composition from last week, only this time covered in snow. Unfortunatly the light was very grey and flat and I was not that happy with the result.





I tried briefly to head up over the hills towards Dorchester, but the roads were bad and the snow was drifitng across both carriages, so after taking the view across the Bride Valley, I set off back towards Bridport and Burton Bradstock.





After taking a few shots around Burton Bradstock for a clients website, I headed over to Pilsden Pen to watch the sunset from the top of the hill there. A great spot to watch out across the whole of the Marshwood Vale and to watch the light glow golden as the sun set behind the broken clouds.





A busy day, with many closed or icy roads but it was great to see the Dorset countryside covered in snow for a change.

News Release 29th November 2010 from Uk
Graham Wiffen Photography: From Fish to Photos – 2011 Calendars

Graham Wiffen, Sales & Marketing Manager of the Hive Beach Café at Burton Bradstock, West Dorset has launched a new career, moving on from taking pictures of food or serving it to shooting the wonderful Dorset land and seascapes. One of his first big projects is a spectacular calendar for 2011 backed by Steve Attrill, owner of the award winning Hive. And with the 2012 Olympic sailing event on the doorstep Graham's planning for a bumper time.

Photography has been a lifelong hobby for Graham. “I’m now at a stage in my working life where I can enjoy being creative. So to have a project that brings together all the aspects that I’m passionate about is very satisfying.” He has travelled extensively, living in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, and feels that the scenery on our Dorset doorstep takes some beating. “Working at the Hive is like having the best photographic studio in the world. The colours and shapes in the surrounding countryside and Jurassic coastline, and the ever changing light, are a constant source of inspiration.” Graham uses a Nikon D90 camera with a variety of lenses including Nikon & Sigma, and using Lee Filters.

The calendars, available in the cafe and online, cost £4.95 and are perfect for Christmas gifts or for the pure joy of the pictures. All of the profits are being donated to the charity Julia’s House which supports Dorset children with life-threatening illnesses and their families by providing respite, fun and nursing care. Community Fund Raiser Di Pestell says, “We’re really pleased that The Hive is helping us once more. The money raised is much needed and appreciated by Julia’s House.”

For pictures, interviews and more information contact
Annette Shaw PR
Telephone: - 01308 456699
E-mail:- annetteshaw08@btinternet.com

Graham Wiffen contact info:
Web site: - www.grahamwiffenphotography.com
E-mail:- graham@grahamwiffen.com
Hive web site: - www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk

As we headed towards the time of sunset tonight, there was thick cloud over the sky, heading down to the horizon, but for a few minutes, the sun broke below one bank of clouds, shone brightly, before heading below another bank of cloud and setting below the horizon.

As it shone across the Abbotsbury valley, I was driving over Abbotbury Hill and stopped for a few minutes to capture St Catherines Chapel, the Fleet and Weymouth and Portland in the background. A lovely golden light tonight ... thats why they call it the Golden Hour.

The lesson as always, dont believe the weatherman, but get out there, and wait and see.

I rose early to get the sunrise across the snow-covered hills and valleys of Dorset, only to find a thick bank of cloud across the eastern sky, giving some very grey light indeed across the landscape.

I decided to stay local and went off to my favourite hill to try and capture the scene, and with wind whistling in my ears (I forgot my hat) and a few inches of snow covering the tops of my boots, I headed off to Quarry Hill.

Being cold and a bit dissapointed, I headed off towards Lyme, to view Golden Cap from Morecombelake, where there is a new farm shoip open, which opens early serving hot coffee and bacon rolls. Just what was needed. From behind the shop, you get a wonderful view across the valley towards the hills and coast.





I decided I would use the rest of the day as a recky to various locations, for future use and after a quick trip to Wimborne, I went down to Corfe and Swanage to try out a couple of shots, which can both be improved upon given different weather conditions.

After getting up early this morning to shoot the sunrise, only to be met by clouds across the sky once I arrived a tthe chosen spot, it looked like the sunset was going the same way... clouds right across the sky.

I was in a meeting as sunset got close and I was constantly looking out the windows to see if the sky was changing from its rather dull greay, overcast look, when over the course of just a few minutes, it came alive and started to glow reds, purples and pinks.

I managed to escape for a few brief minutes to capture the scene as best I could, but it was a stunner.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we all did... and these two!

I have just released a 2011 calendar, featuring a selection of my landscape and seascape photos, with a bit of a surprise in April .... well there has to be an aaahhh moment in all calendars.

The calendar has been produced in association with the Hive Beach Cafe and can be ordered online through either website. The profits from all sales go to Julia's House Childrens Hospice, who are based here in Dorset and do such a wonderful job looking after terminally ill children.

I hope you enjoy the calendar and help us to raise money for Julia's House.