SWANAGEPIER:TheVictorianPieratSwanageoffers
manyshootingoptions:youcanexploittheanglesand
symmetry,usetherailingsaslead-inlines,shootfrom
lowanglesandhigh angles,whilethereis alsoplentyof
scopefor shooting close-upsof the architectural details.
THEBANJOJETTY, SWANAGE:Thebanjojettyon
Swanage seafrontis a modernconcretestructurethatis
notanobvioussubjectbuthasappealforthosewholike
bold,structuralcompositions.Aimforsymmetryand as
Swanage is east-facing, sunrise shots arebest.CL AVELL’STOWER,KIMMERIDGEBAY:Perched
ontopoftheheadlandontheeasternflankofthebay,
Clavell’sTowerwasbuiltasa follyin 1 830. Asfaras
photographersareconcerned,it makesa perfect
backgroundfocal pointfor shotsof thebay.PURBECK COASTAL ARCHITECTURE
12InlandPurbeck
Purbeckis almostsynonymouswiththe
JurassicCoastbutif youdon’tcheckout
what’sinland,you’remissinga trickas
Purbeck’s appealisn’t confinedtothewater’s
edge. Thebest-knownoftheselocationsis
CorfeCastle,a ruinthatsitsontopof a hill,
andwasbuilttodefendtheonlygapin the
PurbeckHillsfor 12 miles.Theshoteveryone
wantsis thecastlesittingabovea layerofmist
at sunrise.Mistisn’t thatcommon,butcan
occurat anytimeofyearalthough is most
likelyin springandautumn.Togiveyourself
thebestchance,lookfora clear,stillnight,
withhighhumidity(90%orhigher)andlow
windatdawn.The mostusualviewpointis
lookingacrosstothecastlefromnearby
WestHill(youcanparkin theNationalTrust
car parkovertheroad)butanexcellent
alternativeis toparkin thelaybybetween
KingstonandWorthMatraversontheB3 069
andwalkdownthenearbyfootpaththrough
farmlandandshootacrossCorfeCommon.
A couple of milesuptheroadfromCorfe
Castleis theattractivemarkettownof
Wareham.It’sa lovelyplacetovisitbutthe
main photographicinterestis situatedonor
near the River Frome.On a still morning,
therewilloftenbea littlephotogenicmist
risingfromthewater,andtheboatsonthe
rivermakeexcellentreflections.Set upearly
onSouthBridge nexttothequayandshoot
towards thedawncolourwitha telephoto,
orusea wide-angle andinclude thebuildings
onthequayforaddedinterest.
A littlefurtheroffthebeatentrack,Purbeck
is alsohometosomebeautiful heathland.
OwnedbytheNationalTrust,thenature
reserveofStudlandandGodlingstonHeath
partiallysurroundsthevillageofStudlandand
is thelargestlowlandheathinDorset.Access
is easyastherearenumerousfootpaths,and
it boastsfineviewstowardsPooleHarbour.
Wildlife photographerswillbeinterestedto
knowthatallsixspeciesofBritishreptilecan
befoundhere.In themiddleoftheheathis
theAgglestone,a 4 00 -tonlumpof ironstone,
perchedontopofa smallhill.Asis thecase
withmostheathland,StudlandHeathreally
comesaliveduringlatesummerwhenthe
heatherbeginstobloom.
Although it’sonlya fewminutesawayfrom
Wareham,ifyouvisitHartlandMoor,you
could beforgiven for thinkingyou’d been1)TherisingsunburnsoffthefogsurroundingCorfeCastle
andcastsshadowsintothemistin thisshotfromtheclassic
viewpoint,WestHill. 2 )Someofthebestdisplaysofheatherin
theareaaretobefoundat StoboroughHeath;earlymorning
mistaddssomeatmospheretothescene. 3 )A stillmorning
ontheRiverFromeat Wareham,withmistrisingfrom the river
andmirror-likereflectionsoftheboats.82 DigitalSLR PhotographyOctober 2 019
transportedto anentirelydifferentpartofthe
country; thissmallareaofmoorlandhasthe
feelofgenuinewildernessandis quiteunlike
anyof thesurroundinglandscape.However,
withlittlehighgroundandfewobviousfocal
points,it canbe challengingto photograph.
Slightlyeasieris theadjacentStoborough
Heath, whichagain reallycomesintoits own
inlatesummer,whenvibrantheather carpets
thearea.Earlymornings arefavouredhere,as
thereis oftena layeroflow-lyingmistto add
atmosphere,makingit agreatalternativeto
the morepopularlocationsin theNewForest.
If you’re outandaboutshootingheather,
theRSPBreserveof Arneis onlyjustaround
thecorner.It’s a havenforwildlife,buteven
if that’snotyourbag, thereareviewsacross
PooleHarbourandexcellentdisplaysof
heather to be seenatShipstal Point.