The Foreland Rocks

I finally made it with my Pentax this August, the seemingly epic journey along the shore from South Beach in Studland to the Old Harry Rocks. There is a sense of awe and achievement upon safe arrival which I suppose gives a small taste of what adventurers and explorers must experience.

The timing is crucial and it can be hard to get the right combination of tides, time and weather to all come together..... Get any of these wrong and this could quickly turn into a rather nasty place to be stranded. There are a few hazards with mud, seaweed and some deep wades around rocky outcrops to negotiate on the journey, which bring a sense of relief and safe passage at the end.

If the tide is coming back in then there is an urgency to things, as on the return any wading could turn to swimming in some spots, and if there's any roughness in the sea then this harsh shoreline will be unforgiving.

We had a good 40 mins out there in calm conditions, totally alone and feeling rather privileged as the light came and went and played a few games with me as I dashed around trying to make the most of it.

All photos are taken with the K7 and D FA28-105, at ISO 200, most at f8 or 9.5. Editing is with Snapseed and PhotoShop Express apps on Android mobile.....

Fair play Nigel, not sure i would be that brave, having ended up knee deep in mud in the past . Well worth it though, excellent images and possibly quite rare due to the effort needed. good to have you back.

Nice set Nigel - that first one gives a good sense of depth and the colours throughout are beautiful

There's some lovely detail in some of those shots, Nigel. You're working that lens very well. Nice to see a little bit of Dorset again, too. Thanks for that.

Great stuff Nigel, especially no. 3

ps good to see you posting again

Professionally covered subject matter. Great scenes and without doubt, worth the efforts involved.

Good work and well processed.

Best regards

Thanks for all your comments, and it is very nice to have something to show again. We "did" the rocks last year as well, but I didn't take the Pentax then and I only have phone pics to show for it!

It was fun to get the DSLR out again and I was very glad to be using such a rugged camera and lens in such an environment.

I'm sure it's quite rewarding to reach these rocks Nigel. I like 6 in particular, with its twisting thrust into the clouds.

I like these, Nigel - well composed, nice colours, and loads of detail. Certainly a worthwhile expedition.

All the best.
Philip.

Thanks also sry and Mr B... I like that description, the "twisting thrust"...that shape inspired me to do a little dodging to help the highlights out on the rock.

Philip, I've ventured there twice now and it's been a special experience both times, although with some sense of anxiety and responsibility with the kids in tow.

Next year I hope to move through the arch and make our way round the front rocks to see the "spire" which is on the Swanage side.

The image quality and clarity of No.4 is sensational but the set as a whole is superb. Looks like you made an epic journey along that beautiful coast line.
David

Thanks David and David, I hope to go again next year and hopefully we'll get a bit longer to explore further around the headland!

I like 3 and 6

I've been caught before with the tide and shot some rocks out at sea and when I turned around I was stood on an island and the sea had comes in around the sides and I had to wade back to land with camera on tripod! Not something I want to do again!