coast | alan frost photography

Posts tagged ‘coast’

Dunstanburgh Castle – constantly changing stillness

What does this title mean exactly? Let me explain.

Whenever I visit a beautiful location for the first time, there comes a point when I have to leave, to head home and then long to return another day. I distinctly remember when I first witnessed the glorious Lake District. It was many, many years ago and I was on my way back from Scotland with my parents. We decided to take a detour through The Lakes as we had never visited this part of the UK before. We didn’t stop or stay, just drove through and admired the view.

Bamburgh Castle – the before and the after

I don’t think I have ever done this before but I thought I would walk you through my thoughts and the creative process in the making of this monochrome image of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. I hope you will find it interesting.

Chesil Cove is the most southerly section of Chesil Beach. It lies at the extreme eastern end of the beach by the village of Chiswell on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. Chesil Beach forms part of the Jurassic Coast and is the largest tombolo in the UK. A remarkable natural phenomena being some 18 miles long and estimated to be made up of 180 billion pebbles. The largest pebbles, roughly the size of a fist, are to be found at Chesil Cove. The further west you go the smaller they become until they reach pea-size at Bridport.

I took a walk around Chesil Cove and I was attracted to the beach huts perched on the rising land about the cove itself. Nestled amongst boulders and below now redundant quarries, the huts are rather ramshackle. Undeniably they enjoy a wonderful view looking west along the coast and by virtue of their position are probably quite expensive to buy.

Dungeness – A fascinating and desolate place.

For quite some time now I have wanted to visit Dungeness on the southern tip of the Kent coast. I had heard about and seen many an image of the headland which is one of the largest areas of shingle in Europe. It is an extraordinary and fascinating place, quite unlike anything I have visited before.

In recognition of its diverse ecology it is designated a National Nature reserve (NNR), a Special Protection Area (SPA), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which also includes Romney Marsh and Rye Bay.

It is also the site of two Nuclear Power Stations. The first was commissioned in 1965, and the other became operational in 1983. The former ceased production in 2006 and the second is estimated to be de-commissioned by 2028. They are massive buildings, dominate the area, and are ever present if not in the eye then certainly in the mind.

Fisherman have lived in the area for a long time. Their homes are often converted railway carriages and their boats and huts stand on the shingle although many are well past their prime.

There is clear evidence the character of Dungennes is changing, as incomers given the opportunity buy one of the dilapidated buildings, which is then replaced with a much more modern/contemporary structure. Whilst there are strict planning regulations these new properties are in many cases second homes or holiday lets. I doubt this is considered to be progress by the locals as it impacts on the affordability of these homes and it will in time undoubtedly change the character of the location.

My wife and I spent the best part of a day exploring the area, but I left thinking there was more we hadn’t seen. Photographically it offers numerous opportunities and having taken my time to process a selection of images I hope I have captured something of the true essence of the place. In many respects these pictures are more documentary in their style and I have enjoyed this approach to this collection.

Although the place gives the impression of abandonment and desolation there is activity including the Fish Hut and a steam railway for the visitors. Should I make a return visit, and I think I will, I would like to try and record some more of these activities as they too have a story to tell.

Dungeness is a fascinating place and I have finished with a photograph of some wording I found on the side of one of the many containers apparently abandoned on the shingle. Make of it what you will!!

If you have enjoyed these images there are more to be seen in a new gallery page – ‘Dungeness’ which can viewed by clicking here.

As always if you want to view an enlarged version do click on the image.

The Coastguards – Escaping the classic view

This image was captured at Cuckmere Haven in East Sussex earlier this week. The approach is from Seaford Head Nature Reserve. It’s an extremely well known spot, not only for tourists but also for photographers who wish to add the ‘classic view’ to their collection. By ‘classic view’ I mean the one which is taken from the top of the footpath on the right of this picture. Looking east, the coastguard cottages are in the foreground whilst the majestic view of the cliffs of The Seven Sisters and Beachy Head fill the background. It is a wonderful view but metaphorically speaking there are thousands of tripod holes in the prime spot. Just Google – Coastguard Cottages Seaford – and you will see what I mean.

On my Instagram feed, a fellow Worpress Blogger, Lensscaper by Andy Hooker, rightly pointed out in a comment that the view isn’t as good as it used to be. The brambles are quite overgrown and the view of the cottages is quite obscured.

This didn’t matter to me as the point of this post is to look for alternative viewpoints and not to follow in the footsteps (or tripod holes) of all the people that have gone before me. The ‘classic view’ might be the one to appear on the picture postcard or a tin of biscuits made for the tourist, but I prefer to explore a popular location and look for an image which is not often seen by the majority.

In case you were wondering I did take the ‘classic view’ about a year ago and here it is. Even then I still made the focal point an elderly gentleman with his walking stick. I was still resisting a shot of just the view itself. You can read this post here.

I would argue that even in the most popular locations there are new shots to be found if you take the trouble to look around and not be tempted to repeat the obvious.