So I was nominated for the 7-day photography challenge by the incredibly talented Andy Farrer (Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015). I will be doing a photoshoot every day for the next 7 days and posting the images here along with the stories and breakdowns behind the shots.

Day 1: Saturday, the 6th of Feb. 2016
Location: The Isle of Portland
Weather forecast: Overcast, rain, gales of 54+ mph

Given the weather forecast, I knew the visibility would not be great and it was going to stay grey and flat-lit throughout the day. With prospects of the high winds, I wanted to go for something dramatic – weather pictures that still had an element of conventional landscape imagery about them.

I know I can count on Portland to deliver when it comes to atmospheric drama and ferocity of the sea.

The location can be very treacherous with the slippery slopes especially during high winds. I have visited the place enough times to have a good idea of the hazards, light direction/quality as well as photographic opportunities.

You do have to be extra cautious and not let the urge of ‘getting the best camera angle’ overpower sensible judgement.

Day 2: Sunday, the 7th of Feb. 2016
Location: RSPB, Arne
Weather forecast: Overcast, light rain

It was going to stay overcast all day and the visibility was not great. The RSPB reserve at Arne is a location I know backwards and forwards as I have done quite a few beauty shoots there. This time around, however, I was looking to get a more pictorial shot of Corfe Castle and process it in a more painterly aesthetic. Given the low light and high wind, it was a bit of a challenge though.

Day 3: Monday, the 8th of Feb. 2016
Location: Bournemouth Pier
Weather forecast: Overcast, strong gales 54+ mph

Given it was a working day, I couldn’t venture out too far towards sunset.

The wind and sea looked quite promising but it is always difficult to show the height of the waves without having a reference of some sort.

I went for some long exposure shots instead..

Day 4: Wednesday, the 10th of Feb. 2016
Location: Bournemouth Pier
Weather forecast: Sunny with good visibility

I have been down with a cold so didn’t have the chance to do much yesterday or today. It was only around sunset that I pushed myself to go down to the pier. The sun was setting as I arrived and by the time I had setup the tripod, it was gone!

I wanted to use the long exposures of waves to create foreground interest…

and to lead the eye in…

I like the way the images turned out and can see there is a lot more potential given the location. All that is required is a little more perseverance! 🙂

Day 5: Wednesday, the 18th of Feb. 2016
Location: Bournemouth Pier
Weather forecast: Partly cloudy with good visibility

The flu continues but I persevered and went down to the pier as a promising sunset seemed imminent – and I wasn’t disappointed…

The downside of course was that the flu got worse again 🙁 I haven’t given up though and will continue once I am a bit better…

Day 6: Tuesday, the 23rd of Feb. 2016
Location: Cheddar Gorge
Weather forecast: Sunny with good visibility

On the way to Cardiff, I took a detour to visit Cheddar Gorge. I arrived close to sunset and rather than attempting to photograph from up top, I shot a panorama with the 21mm Zeiss – a wide-angle, razor-sharp lens with minimal distortion. The image you see below is created by stitching together eight ’tiles’, each tile being a blend of five different exposures. The final image consists of 40 RAW images and is a staggering 15084 x 7005 pixels and 2.23 GB! The version below has been resized and compressed for web use but I look forward to the print from the hi-res version. You can view the thumbnail images of individual exposures below as well.

Day 6: Sunday, the 28th of Feb. 2016
Location: Kimmeridge Bay
Weather forecast: Sunny with good visibility

Kimmeridge Bay is one of my favourite places for photography. This time around I wanted to try something different so here goes…