# What time of day would you go to photograph Durdle Door?



## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

Bearing in mind that I might wait for rougher sea conditions, but what about the light? 

The sun rises in the east which might be quite nice on Durdle Door but then for the rest of the day it will be overhead which I don't want, then at the end of the day it will be in the west which could also be nice except there will be lots of people on the beach most likely which I am also not keen on.

So anyhow: What time of day would you go to photograph Durdle Door?


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## gavman (Aug 1, 2011)

twilight / magic hour.


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

gavman said:


> twilight / magic hour.


 
Aha.. why?


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

I quite like this shot:


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

And I really like this one: 

Sorry it is a bit big...


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## Bassism (Aug 1, 2011)

wow looks amazing


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

Basswhore said:


> wow looks amazing


 
Which one do you like best, the first or the second? 


And BTW these are NOT my shots, they are just online samples from google images.


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## Biddlybee (Aug 1, 2011)

weltweit said:


> Aha.. why?


the light


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

Biddlybee said:


> the light


 
I suppose at sunset the light will be coming from the west which should mean the rocks are illuminated.. 

The only thing is that I think the second sample shot I put in which I like was taken at dawn, the rocks are in shade and the sea almost overexposed..


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## gavman (Aug 1, 2011)

weltweit said:


> Aha.. why?


 
because the stone appears transluscent, the sea also takes on a faint glow....and you'll get to see loads of wabbits on the way down

don't forget blue pool and dancing ledge!
corfe castle also photos pretty well, and the road that runs past it is sensational fun...but not in the daytime


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## gavman (Aug 1, 2011)

weltweit said:


> Which one do you like best, the first or the second?


 
they're both good, in different ways. the second one looks post apocalyptic, the first has better colours and sharper outlines from the softer light


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

gavman said:


> because the stone appears transluscent, the sea also takes on a faint glow....and you'll get to see loads of wabbits on the way down
> 
> don't forget blue pool and dancing ledge!
> corfe castle also photos pretty well, and the road that runs past it is sensational fun...but not in the daytime


 
Ta.. I have been to Dancing Ledge before but what is Blue Pool?


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Aug 1, 2011)

Is it a door if there is no door?


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> Is it a door if there is no door?


 
I think "Durdle Hole" has less of a ring to it


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## gavman (Aug 1, 2011)

weltweit said:


> Ta.. I have been to Dancing Ledge before but what is Blue Pool?


 
it's a weird anomaly/folly, formed when an old china clay working flooded, and surrounded by scenic woodland. the water is a striking deep blue, as a result of pond fauna, iirc. the whole plot is criss-crossed up and down by sandy footpaths, and it's an absolute joy to explore and ideal for kids. possibly not for toddlers, on account of the deep water.
 i always used to go out of season and climb over a fence to get in, i suspect you may be able to swim in the summer but will probably have to pay. it's a couple of miles inland from lulworth, towards dancing ledge

 while we're chatting, if you go down to durdle door the best swimming and snorkelling is in the other cove, on your left as you come down the cliff to dd. there's some well cool rock formations in the reef that protects the bay, and the water is always a bit warmer because of the shallowness of the bay and the way the reef contains it


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

Hi gavman, sounds like you have spent some time in the area. I am not a great waterbabe so will probably not take up the suggestion of snorkelling  I had forgotten that Corfe castle is in the neighbourhood, I might well pop in there when I have been to Durdle Door. Or vice versa. 

Am having trouble visualising where the light will be coming from relative to DD at the different times of the day. I think image 1 was taken late in the day possibly with a polariser. The three dimensional aspect of the hole is not so good because the light seems to come from behind the photographer. In shot 2 the light seems early and coming from out in the sea, I like the effect on the hole itself.


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

Oh and obviously shot 1 was a short shutter and shot 2 was a slow shutter and a bit more movement in the sea.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Aug 1, 2011)

weltweit said:


> I think "Durdle Hole" has less of a ring to it


 
I think it rather sounds like it has more of a ring.


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

Aha.. 

In shot 2, the tide is out or at least out some way compared to shot 1.


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## gavman (Aug 1, 2011)

i'd agree with the times of day, the sun will rise from camera left, setting to camera right.
 i'm no photographer, so can't offer any technical advice or opinion, i'm afraid.

but yes, i lived in bournemouth for about five years and was a keen driver surfer stoner
 so naturally west dorset was my playground. it can be a nightmare during high season, if so then head to studland on the chain ferry from sandbanks for the beaches the locals use

i'd suggest you visit kimmeridge bay, but it can be also be a nightmare during high season since it's only accessed by a tiny lane. but it's really atmospheric, especially in bad weather or after dark, and the nodding donkey on the oppo shore looks good from the tower above the east side of the bay


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## xes (Aug 1, 2011)

Blue pool is a big blue inland pool thingy, blue because it's full of minerals and is a wee bit stagnant. (doesn't smell so) there's also a big ol' feature the other side of the beach at durdle door, but i can't remember the name of it, IMO, it's more dramatic to photograph than the arch.

I prefer the first of the pictures you posted. The other one is too soft, not ragged, like the cliffs actually are.


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## gavman (Aug 1, 2011)

weltweit said:


> Aha..
> 
> In shot 2, the tide is out or at least out some way compared to shot 1.


 
doesn't tell you the time of day. unless you know the date...


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## xes (Aug 1, 2011)

gavman said:


> i'd suggest you visit kimmeridge bay, but it can be also be a nightmare during high season since it's only accessed by a tiny lane. but it's really atmospheric, especially in bad weather or after dark, and the nodding donkey on the oppo shore looks good from the tower above the east side of the bay


 Kimmeridge fucking stank last time I was there. Lots of sea weed on the beach just rotting away. it is nice to see the slabs of rock thrusting out to sea though, they are pretty cool.


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## gavman (Aug 1, 2011)

xes said:


> Blue pool is a big blue inland pool thingy, blue because it's full of minerals and is a wee bit stagnant. (doesn't smell so) there's also a big ol' feature the other side of the beach at durdle door, but i can't remember the name of it, IMO, it's more dramatic to photograph than the arch.
> 
> I prefer the first of the pictures you posted. The other one is too soft, not ragged, like the cliffs actually are.


 
are you allowed to swim at blue pool?
i honestly can't remember if it's encouraged or not. i never did


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## gavman (Aug 1, 2011)

xes said:


> Kimmeridge fucking stank last time I was there. Lots of sea weed on the beach just rotting away. it is nice to see the slabs of rock thrusting out to sea though, they are pretty cool.


 
locals say it's england's only offshore reef. i'm not sure about that, but it is by far the best localsurf break when it works.
which is seldom as the conditions need to be just right.

still, i used to have fun going and checking, on the empty winter roads


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

gavman said:


> doesn't tell you the time of day. unless you know the date...


 
Indeed .. 

But I was thinking that I like the smooth sweep of sand in the second pic which the water is flowing down over (slow shutter) .. and I think athigh tide I am not going to get that, it will be more like the first pic, just a lot of water and no sandy bit ... 

I think I will have a nosey around the net and see if I can get some tide tables.


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## cybertect (Aug 1, 2011)

The Photographer's Ephemeris may help your plans.


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## Corax (Aug 1, 2011)

You can get some nice shots at Sandsfoot Castle too if you're down that way, and it's not so 'recognisable' iykwim.


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## weltweit (Aug 1, 2011)

Low tide in Portsmouth which is quite close is 06:18 .... and 18:39 .. 

So I can get low water near sunrise but perhaps not so easily in the evening, at 1800 the sun will still be way up ..


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## Bassism (Aug 2, 2011)

weltweit said:


> Which one do you like best, the first or the second?
> 
> 
> And BTW these are NOT my shots, they are just online samples from google images.


 
i like the first one best


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## weltweit (Aug 2, 2011)

cybertect said:


> The Photographer's Ephemeris may help your plans.


 
Hi cybertect, thanks for that, sadly I started having a look at it and then it crashed my old browser :-(


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## weltweit (Aug 2, 2011)

weltweit said:


> Low tide in Portsmouth which is quite close is 06:18 .... and 18:39 ..


 
Hactually they have just restated this .. 

Low water is at 07:00 and 19:21 
Sunrise is at 05:36 and sunset is at 20:44 

So actually low tide and sunset coincide more atm .. but there will be loads of people there and I don't want people in shot... 

I prefer to try sun rise ... thinking aloud I wonder if I could position the rising sun in the hole... nah, someone would have already done it..


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## Paul Russell (Aug 2, 2011)

What time of day would you go to photograph Durdle Door?

I wouldn't bother to photograph it at all - it's been snapped 67 million times before.

Take a photo of your local kebab house instead.


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## Kanda (Aug 2, 2011)

Paul Russell said:


> Take a photo of your local kebab house instead.


 
This ^^

In 'magic hour'


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## Paul Russell (Aug 2, 2011)

Actually (trying to be slightly more helpful now), I live in Dorset, so if you want any travel, etc. advice, let me know!


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## 1927 (Aug 2, 2011)

I thought this had something to do with Harry Potter!


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## weltweit (Aug 2, 2011)

Paul Russell said:


> Actually (trying to be slightly more helpful now), I live in Dorset, so if you want any travel, etc. advice, let me know!


 
Thanks.

That it has been photographed before (and indeed it has) does not put me off. 

I would just like to make a good job of it myself and also I have not played with slow exposures and the sea before so that could be interesting.


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