What follows is my landscape photography review of all the photo walks I have taken during September 2025. These included many dawn shoots along the east Sussex coast and on the south downs.

Beachy Head Cliffside walk

September began with a cliffside beachy head walk just after dawn. The weather was blustery so lots of clouds and sunshine, shadow and light skating across the landscape.

Waited for the sunshine to hit all 3 white points here, the horses, belle tout lighthouse and the cliff face of Seaford Head. Gives the composition balance and the frame is filled with interest.

A nice composition of the white chalk cliff face pointing to beachy head lighthouse below. About an hour after high. Would have been better peak high tide hiding that messy bit of beach below. Works well in winter with the sun setting out there.

Battle Abbey Sunrise

Pulled up here early one September morning have always wanted to photograph the Battle abbey main gate. The real mission was to put up the drone and see what’s on the other side. That is coming soon.

Early morning and none of the many visitors to try to exclude. What you do get is some morning golden hour side light hitting the towers.

Birling Gap to Beachy Head Moonrise

That time of the month an a full moonrise was expected a partial lunar eclipse too. Lining it up the only viable option was from the beach lining it up with beachy head lighthouse approaching from the Birling Gap side.

The moonrise would coincide with low tide but also 50% change of cloud cover. I have not walked this stretch of the beach before so wanted to check out the viewpoint and composition.

Once again no site of the moonrise due to low cloud cover on the eastern horizon. But still some great evening golden hour light on the lighthouse and chalk cliffs. And another viewpoint and composition discovered.

Bayham Abbey Ruins

Decided to make a return to the ruins of Bayham Abbey on the east Sussex Kent border. This was primarily to make a film on the location and tell its fascinating history.

But as always there is a some photos to capture too. I think those 3 arches of Bayham abbey are really a strong focal point featuring in the background the manor house up on the hill. With the cumulous clouds there were pools of light and shadow below.

Scotney Castle

Not far from Bayham Abbey are the grounds of Scotney castle. I have never been in the grounds before so decided to visit. Was £19 to enter if not a member of the national trust and £5 parking, but they let me off the parking.

Still really enjoyed exploring the grounds and got some photos. Here you can see the main castle and house and the new house built up on the hill using some of the rock from the original house.

Mount Caburn Misty Dawn

The weather forecast was one of those typical misty morning sunrises so decided to make a return to mount Caburn on the Lewes Downs to capture it. On the drive there was looking very very promising but was pushed for time.

I just made it to the summit of mount Caburn as the sun peeked over the horizon of morning mist. No time to setup the tripod for this spectacle just hand holding but the scene was well illuminated with the sky and mist.

After sunrise I did do a long exposure up to 30 seconds with a 10 stop ND filter and F/16 with the sunrise excluded from the frame. Some lovely sunlit highlights on top of the morning mist down in the valley.

Switched to the 400mm lens for an intimate shot of Firle beacon being highlighted by the morning sunrise and the mist lapping at the base. So many composition everywhere you looked.

A composition from the top of mount Caburn had never noticed before was that of Lewes Castle to the west. With the morning sunlight and the morning mist it stood out. This is shot with 400mm and heavily cropped. You would not notice Lewes castle without these conditions and would be far away and just blends into Lewes town in the background. Amazing morning.

Camber Sands Sunrise

I had business to attend to in Rye one September Saturday morning so decided to get up early and have a sunrise exploration at Camber Sands on the east Sussex coast.

On the drive to camber sands had to pull over and photograph the wind turbines rising through the morning mist into the pink dawn sky above a surreal sight.

A good walk around Camber Sands at sunrise. Such a beautiful sandy beach a lot quieter this time of day and year. The important thing here was to fill the frame with interest by including a low tide pool and getting the suns reflection. I think the ripples in the foreground caused by my feet really add an element of interest.

Firle Beacon Escarpment Sunrise

Was visiting some family who live close to Firle so decided to get up early and do a shoot from Firle Beacon. Took a walk west pre dawn from Firle Beacon but the best composition is to the east. Of the Firle Escarpment catching the morning rising sun.

What would work really well here is some morning mist like that when on mount Caburn lapping up to the side of the hills. That’s on the to do list.

Pevensey Bay Dawn

The inspiration to visit Pevensey Bay late September was to make a film of the Martello towers located nearby. But when I arrived there was one of those dramatic red dawns skies above.

Not have a tripod else a long exposure would have improved the composition smoothing out the sea and surf around the line of groynes. Problem is with Pevensey bay not really have much to work with in the foreground or a focal point, so the groynes had to do.

Eastbourne Pier Dawn

I set out early on the last dawn of September hoping for some more misty mornings within the hills of the souths downs. But the mist was thin on the ground so took a detour to plan B. Always good to have a plan B if conditions not work out. Plan B was another dawn shoot of the iconic Eastbourne Pier.

Given high tide I framed the groyne in the foreground and did a long exposure pre dawn. The long exposure makes the shot as do the pastoral colours in the sky.

By the time the sunrise occurred I was switching positions trying to line up both the sun and pier. Maybe I should have just stayed put, the groyne works well as a frame in the foreground. The last sunrise of September 2025 was a good one. Always have a plan B when heading out.

End of September 2025

September 2025 had been a good month of photography and film including a lot of dawn shoots along the east Sussex coast and misty mornings in the south downs. The trees are already turning those autumnal colours so roll on October….

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