Blog

The 2012 Calendar is now released, in association with the Hive Beach Café.









Following on from our success last year with the Hive, we have released a new calendar for 2012 highlighting images from my own landscape and seascape photography collection, specifically from Dorset.

This year, each month also highlights what fish are in season and at their best, accompanied by another image from the recently published Hive Beach Café Cookbook, where I shot all the images for the book.

All profits from the sale of the book this year will go to Macmillan Cancer Research.

I hope you enjoy the calendar, all of the images and help us raise some funds for Macmillan.

Cornwall Landscape Photographer
Sunset over Cape Cornwall





It was a dark, gray and wild sunset down at Cape Cornwall this weekend. Saturday saw some great weather, with some lovely cloud formations and light, but as sunset neared, the skies filled in and the winds picked up.

I love the weather when its like this, and the Cornish Coast is one place to make the most of it. The wild rugged coastline and the dramatic rocks, mixed with high winds and rolling waves, made for some interesting shots.

I was cleaning the filters between each shot as the spray was all-covering, including me, and the unpredictable waves, every ten or so, made for wet trousers, soaked boots and a run to make sure the camera bag was kept dry.

I used a polorising filter to enhance the grey's and give the sky some extra depth and a 0.3 hard grad helped too.

A great spot if you get the chance to visit.

The Hive Beach Café Cookbook

As many of you know I have been working hard on a food photography project for the last 3 months. I am glad to say that the project is finished and is already a great success. The book will be published and on sale from December 1st.

The book is to be covered in many national papers and magazines in the run up to Christmas, but you can pre-order your copy now by following the links in the related blog post. The first print run is limited, so to make sure you get your copy before Christmas, place your pre-order now.

Thanks to everyone for your comments of support over the past few weeks. Its been great fun working on such a project, although I have sorely missed the landscape work. I'll be getting back to that very soon.

I dont like to remind you, but its only 6 weeks to Christmas! I must get organised.

The Hive Beach Café Cookbook – the ideal Christmas gift





‘The perfect introduction to seafood cookery, courtesy of Dorset’s coolest beachfront café.’ Lesley Waters

The Hive Beach Café Cookbook, featuring more than 100 fish and seafood recipes divided into four seasons, is now available to buy. The ultimate Christmas gift for anyone who loves seafood – or who’s ever enjoyed line-caught Portland seabass or a warming bowl of fish soup by the sea at Burton Bradstock – the book will be published by Bristlebird Books on 1 December.

For more information or to view sample pages, please click here.

Featuring a foreword and four exclusive recipes from celebrity chef and long-time Hive supporter Lesley Waters, the book is edited by former Mr & Mrs Smith editor Rufus Purdy and packed with beautiful images from award-winning photographer Graham Wiffen. It reflects The Hive’s chefs’ passion for sustainability and protecting our dwindling fish stocks. You’re just as likely to discover recipes for cuttlefish, garfish, gurnard and huss as you are to come across innovative new ways to cook lobster, scallops and squid.





The Hive Beach Café Cookbook also makes use of the latest QR-code technology – meaning readers can simply download recipes to their mobile phones before setting out to source the ingredients.

The Hive Beach Café Cookbook, £16.99, is now available to buy from The Hive Beach Café and www.hivecookbook.co.uk

Dorset Landscape Photography
Sunset over Clavell's Pier, Kimmeridge Bay





Its been a while since I've been out to focus on landscape photography. The cookbook project I am involved in is taking up much of my time. Its nearly finished and I will be posting details of it up here very soon.

I decided to pop over to Kimmeridge Bay to watch the sunset. One of my favourite places, as there is so much to see there at any state of tide. It where the Jurassic Coast shows its teeth, with the rock formations and ledges in the bay, Clavell's Pier and the further round, even more ledges with some fantastic detailing. All this and of course, some great patterns, colours and formations uncovered at low tides.

As I arrived, it was nearing high tide, although it wasn't that high, so I headed off to Clavell's Pier, which was nicely exposed and being washed by the incoming tide, leaving it wet and shining in the setting sun.

Took a couple of shots in portrait mode, from the top of the pier, as it was leading out towards the setting sun. The light was hitting the rocks beautifully, lighting up the whole formation.

The second was taken using the Lee Big Stopped, ND110, 10 stop filter, and was a 3 minute exposure, set off 1.5 minutes beofre sunset. I wanted to capture the sun in the shot, but not let it burn out too much compared to the rest of the picture. There were other photographers down there this evening, so I really wanted to get further right, but others were already there, but I like the result with the pier leading into the picture nicely.

Press Release
Graham Wiffen, high on a hill





Bridport photographer Graham Wiffen is celebrating having been awarded ‘Commended’ in the 2011 Take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. The image will be in this year’s Take a View book, available from 31st October and in the slide slow that will run as part of an exhibition in London at the National Theatre.

“This is the first year I have entered,” says Graham. “So I’m chuffed to bits to have got through!” The photograph is of mists across the iconic Colmers Hill, Symonsdbury, and captures the magical beauty of a Dorset morning. Following his success Graham is increasingly busy, actively seeking to raise the profile of the county with his photographic work.

Charlie Waite, one of Britain’s best-loved landscape photographers and founder of Take a View, set up the Awards to provide an ongoing platform for capturing images that best symbolise our land and our times, which will stand as a record for the future. There were many thousands of entries to the competition which is sponsored by Network Rail and supported by the Sunday Times magazine.

The sheer number of competitors in 2011 demonstrated both the beauty and variety of the UK landscape and in the South West there is no shortage of varied and dramatic scenery. Landscapes are Graham’s passion although he is already well established as a food photographer.

Exhibition details:
Take a view – Landscape Photographer of the Year 2011 Exhibition in association with Network Rail & Epson UK.
Dates: Monday, 5th December 2011 - 28th January 2012
Venue: Lyttelton Foyer, National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
020 7452 3400

For more information/contact:
Graham Wiffen
Tel: 07872 172734
E-mail: graham@grahamwiffen.com
Web site: www.grahamwiffenphotography.com

From Annette Shaw PR
Telephone: - 01308 456699
E-mail:- annetteshaw08@btinternet.com

Dorset Landscape Photography
Morning mists

Just a quick note to say I'll be back with some new pictures very soon.

I have been working on a different project over the past weeks which is going to continue for a few more weeks too. All very exciting, but very time consuming.

I'm working on a cookbook, taking all the pictures for the book, which includes not only the food photography, but the locations, people, suppliers, action shots and of course, some landscapes too.

I'll post a few of the shots shortly, but I'll be back with some more landscapes very soon too.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Sunset across Radipole Lake





Driving back from Ringstead Bay and White Nothe last week, the sun was looking grey and uninspiring... how wrong can you be.

As the sun hit the horizon, it found a niche in the clouds and turned the sky an amazing burnt orange / purple, picking up the contours of the clouds.

I quickly stopped at a local viewpoint, Radipole Lake, and captured a couple of shots before it started to turn.

I hope you enjoy the view.

Dorset Landscape Photography:
Sunset over West Bay





The sky was looking like it might provide some magic tonight with broken clouds across most of the sky, with part of t definately a Mackerel sky... always good.

I headed off to find a good spot and ended up on the seafront at West Bay, looking out across the rocks on the front towards Thorncombe Beacon and Golden Cap. The sun was going down in some layered cloud, but colour was already building in the sky above.

I setup my tripod, composed my shot and waited for the sky to fill in with more colour.

As I was waiting a friend rang and as I took the call, I turned and paced while speaking. The skies behind were definately filling in nicely which brought more hope for a great sunset.

A further 5 minutes and I looked again to the East and the skies were on fire. The setting sun had lit the skies with an amazing dusky pink and the high level clouds were glowing. I had to rapidly setup again to capture a few shots before the colour ran across the sky, so probably not the best composition.

As they say in the Panto's : "Its behind you", so one of the golden rules of photography : always look the other way too!

One of the main attractions of the entire weekend is the Night Glows that took place on the Thursday and Saturday evenings.

Night Glow: a truly amazing event; where 26 balloon were tethered in the arena and we waited for darkness to fall.

The main sponsor of the event, Janguar, got their balloon up early, the XK8, while the rest got ready by laying out their balloons on the ground and tying them down.





Slowly, and to the theme tune of 2001, 'Also sprach Zarathustra' roaring out across the arena, the balloons were filled and came upright.





For a minute or so all was still and then the music started blaring out and with each beat a different balloon 'glowed' in the dark by firing its burners.





And then as the music came to a crescendo, all the balloon glowed together ....





The crowds of approx 100,000 people were either boogying around of recording the amazing event on digital cameras or their phones. An amazing evening which ended with a great firework display, which sadly went off behind us.

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 2011





A weekend spent amongst the balloons, pilots and supporters of this acclaimed festival which attracts around 100,000 for each mass ascent. The festival ran over the whole weekend with many attractions taking place, including the Red Arrows, Night Glows and Mass Ascents across the Bristol skyline.

I arrived on Friday evening just in time to see the balloons drifting across the Avon Gorge and passing by the Clifton Suspension Bridge; a great sight at any time, but with all the balloons passing by, it made a true spectacle.





I was up and ready for mornings sunrise ascent on the Saturday morning, but due to poor weather and low cloud it was called off, so we waited for the evening mass ascent where 87 balloons gathered in the arena and took off within 30 minutes or so, spreading out across the skies.

With so many balloons in one place, it was fun getting interesting / unique compositions, but I hope you enjoy a few of the shots that I took over the course of the ascent.

Dorset Landscape Photographer
Beautiful Dorset





No great sunrise this morning and the weather towards the end of the day looked terrible (its raining as I write), so as the sun was out this morning I ventured out .... and with no great hay/wheat sheves around, I headed up a hill I had seen many times, driving past it almost daily.

The hill in question was Shipton Hill, up behind Shipton Gorge, and it rises above the surrounding landscape with a tree 'haircut' on top.

The hill was easy to climb and the view from the top was wonderful. A great classic Dorset landscape. Green fields give way to the wheat fields that are yet to be harvested... the coastline showed West Bay, Thorncombe Beacon and Golden Cap in the far distance and the clouds above were streaking across the sky with the winds that were steadily developing.

A great walk and a great view. I hope you enjoy it too.

Dorset Landscape Photographer
Sunset over Hive Beach Fishermen





It was a glorious weekend down at Hive Beach & Cogden Beach last weekend. The wekeend finished with a great sunset as the remaining families played on the beach, setup their BBQ's and got out their fishing rods to try and catch supper.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Evening Fishing on the Jurassic Coast





It was a warm and sunny day today down on the coast and the fishermen were out for a large part of the day, but as the sun went down they headed for the beach with their families and BBQ's in the hope of landing some Mackerel or Bass for supper.

I went off to Cogden Beach, well known locally with fishermen and with the sun coming back round to the SW at sunsets, it made for a interesting shoot, directly into the sun.

Using the Nikon 70-200mm F2.78 lens which is an excellent lens, I setup and waited for the sun to almost set before shooting up the beach, across the fishermen and into the setting sun.

The guys close to me were saying they hadn't caught too much tonight, but the smells from the BBQ told me that at least some Mackerely had been landed. A glorious day.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Morning Mists across Bridports' Hills





An early morning today as I woke to see my village and the surrounding valley filled with swirling mists. I headed out to see what I could find and seeing it was lying across the Bridport valley, I went up to the hills behind Colmers Hill.

By the time I got up there, some of the mists were already rising and the sun was a little high in the sky, causing some high contrast conditions.

It was a lovely early morning start to the day and wonderful scene unfolded across the valley, the hills and across the Marshwood Vale.

The first shot was a panoramic using a 50mm lens in portrait mode, using 5 images, merged in Photoshop.

The second is using a Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 lens, which is a cracking lens, on a 2x converter. I roamed across the countryside using the viewfinder until I found a scene with fields and trees fading off into the distance and into the mist.

Dorset Event Photographer
Abbotsbury Swannery Round-up 2011





Early Saturday morning saw another successful bi-annual roundup and census of the swans along the Fleet, behind Chesil Beach in Dorset, by staff from Abbotsbury Swannery and volunteers from across the country.

David Wheeler, Abbotsbury's Swan Herd said "This is the 16th roundup we've had at Abbotsbury and all went very smoothly." More than 750 swans were rounded up in the process where they are checked by vets, weighed, recorded and ringed where necessary.
A large number of the swans are known to be local to Abbotsbury but many are also noted as visitors to the area by their different coloured leg rings.





The roundup started on Friday with some 70 canoes slowly herding swans down from the Portland end of the Fleet where they were encouraged to stay overnight at Abbotsbury Swannery by a temporary boom across the narrowest part of the Fleet.

At sunrise on Saturday morning, the swans were brought ashore into holding pens ready for the census by 200 volunteers wading out or paddling canoes.





Once processed the swans were then carried back to the waters edge where they were released back onto the Fleet.

Swans have been recorded at Abbotsbury since at least the 14th Century, with David Wheeler able to trace his predecessors back to William Squilor, the Swan Herd for Abbotsbury in 1393.

In past years more than a 1000 birds have been rounded up. This year’s numbers are thought to be lower because of the high number of seagulls, crows and foxes preying on young cygnets around the lagoon.

Dorset Landscape Photographer
Celebrations at Hengistbury Head





This weekend saw the 50th birthday celebrations of one of my best friends. Along with my own, a number of us were celebrating our birthdays, so we gathered en-mass at the beach huts on Mudeford Spit, Hengistbury Head, overlooking Christchurch Harbour on one side and the Solent and the Needles on the other.

We stayed for 3 days and in addition to the eating, drinking, celebrating and general fun we all had, we were treated to 3 wonderful sunsets across the harbour.

The tides were Springs meaning high high-tides and low low-tides which gave the harbour an eerie feeling as we watched both dogs and humans 'walk on water' as the tide dropped, leaving boats keeled over on the mud and swans waddling across the mud-flats that remained.

Thanks to all the gang who turned up to help us celebrate in style .... Thx to Koves for organising so much of it all, and thanks to the weather, which was just glorious ..... sunburn hitting in now....

International Landscape Photography
Italian Riviera





A surprise trip to the Italian Riviera, as a birthday present from my partner, to visit the small harbour of Portofino. Thank you Cerian.

Portofino is somewhere I had wanted to visit for many years, so this was a great surprise and an amazing experience. As someone who is not only in photography, but the sea, boats, yachts and great seafood, I was in heaven. Wherever you turned there was another megayacht coming into the harbour, or in some cases, mooring off outside as they were too big to come in. 150' yachts were two-a-penny. This was the playground of the rich and famous and great fun to visit for a few days.

History according to Wikipedia:
According to Pliny the Elder, Portofino was founded by the Romans and named Portus Delphini, or Port of the Dolphin, because of the large number of dolphins that inhabited the Tigullian Gulf.

The village is mentioned in a diploma from 986 by Adelaide of Italy, which assigned it to the nearby Abbey of San Fruttoso di Capodimonte. In 1171, together with the neighbouring Santa Margherita Ligure, it was included in Rapallo's commune jurisdiction. After 1229 it was part of the Republic of Genoa. The town's natural harbour supported a fleet of fishing boats, but was somewhat too cramped to provide more than a temporary safe haven for the growing merchant marine of the Republic of Genoa.





It was a hot and sunny weekend, so the sunlight was harsh all day long and the direction of the sun meant a large section of the harbour was thrown into shade after midday. I took many shots of the area, villas, yachts and harbour-scapes, so I hope you enjoy the small selection here.

Somerset Landscape Photography
Somerset Lavender





I was on my way to Bristol, heading off for a weekend away, when I decided to pop in and see the fields at Somerset Lavender. Agreat place to visit anyway, but especially this time of year for photographers. The fields are amazing and the combination with the various type of lavender growing in the garden, the stone walls and the feild beyond give a great photographic opportunity.

It was a little early in the season, as the garden lavender was not yet fully in flower, but towards the end of June or early July, but before they start harvesting the main field, is a great time to go.

Somerset Lavender