I struggled to come up with the title of this post for a while. I have a standard format of naming posts, but it’s based around places where I make infrequent, occasional trips. I’ve been going to Dorset for long enough that it predates that nomenclature, and going there often enough that there’s a decent amount of posts containing some sort of photography from that part of the world, all named in weird ways that certainly seemed appropriate at the time. This is certainly up there are far as first world problems go, but that is the world where I live – issues like having fresh running water is less of a concern.
But, as I often do, I digress.
This particular assortment of photographs is from 2021, when we took our first family holiday together as a three. That said, these pictures were edited in early 2024, so will feature some of what I’ve learned in the interim about how to process images. Being a family holiday where various photos were taken, this will be forming a bit of a compendium.
The first image in this set is from Swanage Bay, with a line of ominous-looking clouds hovering over Bournemouth.
On one day we took a stroll along the pier. Swanage is a special place for us as a family and so there is a plaque in memory of my dad on one of the boards. Whilst we were on the pier, a passenger boat came by.
As I said, I edited these images in 2024. That means they were edited after I’d gotten into the habit of using Lightroom presets to enhance my images. This shot has been processed with a preset, which has enhanced the blue of the sea and sky and red of the boat for a more striking image. I’ve done the same on these next images too, and it’s perhaps a lot more noticeable on this photograph of the boat as it left full of passengers.
As you can see, it’s also brought out the green of Ballast Down behind it. I appreciate this look might not be for everyone – but I like the result.
I took a couple more shots at the boat left, heading towards either Poole or Bournemouth.
It also has a nice effect without needing the contrasting red of the boat, such as this shot of the pier edge.
Another thing we love to do whilst staying in Dorset is riding the Swanage Railway to Corfe Castle. This time, having National Trust memberships, we could actually visit the Castle without paying the entrance fee.
From up in the castle you get great views of the surrounding countryside. This is usually a good opportunity to take some panoramic shots. I can be very lazy with these: either I just resort to my phone (I actually have a panoramic photo of Swanage Bay, taken using my phone, printed and framed on my wall), or I fire off some loosely aligned photographs and trust that Lightroom will be able to figure them out later. Sometimes that backfires and it can’t align an image or two, but usually I get away without carrying around or faffing about with a tripod or any other formal process. I just shoot, and try to ensure the images have enough overlap to stitch them together later.
I feel like that thatched house was put there solely to add to the scenery.
You can also get a lovely view of the village of Corfe Castle from there. If you time it right, you can have some of the steam from the railway add to the scene.
Corfe Castle is a ruin, which means lots of opportunities for photographing things with lovely aged textures, like this old gate leaning against an ancient castle wall.
Through the bushes you can get a view of one of the railway bridges too.
At the bottom of the hill you can get some nice imposing shots of the Castle. I think I used Lightroom’s Transform tool to straighten the vertical lines on this shot.
Perhaps my favourite thing to do whilst in Dorset is the walk from Swanage along the coast path towards Durlston Castle. I’ve loved doing it since I was a kid, when the mile or two walk was the longest I’ve ever walked rather than just what I do as part of my normal commute now. I don’t often take that many photographs on this walk any more, just because things have only changed so much since I was younger. There are, however, some shots I will always stop to capture, just because they bring me joy to look at them – namely, this one looking back towards Peveril Point, with Old Harry Rocks in the background.
On the last day of our holiday, we took a boat trip to Brownsea Island in the middle of Poole Harbour. It is a nature reserve famed for its red squirrels, amongst other interesting creatures. That said, as we explored, the first interesting things we came across were some lilies. As they were in the middle of a decent-sized pond, I needed to switch to my 70-200mm telephoto to get the shots I was after.
This is one of those places that was under tree cover, and occasionally the sunlight would poke through in just the right way to light up the flowers just so.
We moved on, and I switched back to my standard zoom. As we wandered, we came across what is essentially some graffiti of an emoji.
Further on, we encountered a cockerel, looking rather majestic.
He gave us the show of flapping his wings.
Before also giving us a crow.
Elsewhere on the island is a church. Like the photo of Corfe Castle earlier, I’ve put this through Lightroom’s transform tool to correct the perspective and straighten the vertical lines.
Nearby, I spotted a couple of people on a bench in the shade.
Also nearby I saw a wheelbarrow resting against a tree. I’ve put this through another Lightroom preset in order to pop the colours a bit, especially on the wheelbarrow.
As we waited by the dock having some lunch and waiting for the boat home, I photographed a few other boats in Poole Harbour with my 70-300mm telephoto.
We’ve been back to Dorset on several occasions since I took these photos, and I always am wanting to return there, so there will many future posts from that part of the world in the future.