What follows is a review of Landscape and seascape photography during March 2024. The majority of the time spent outdoors was on the south downs and coast of East Sussex.
March Cold
March 2024 not get off to a good start, at the end of February went down with a bad cold. This lasted two weeks so not much to show for the first two weeks of March. Iv not had a bad cold for years, last I remember was when I was travelling around Tenerife just before the Covid lockdown. Maybe it was Covid. What with working full time now and the continuing bad weather, so much rain could only get out during breaks at the weekends.
Wilmington Hill Hike
Was a pleasant early spring March day and I had almost made a full recovery from my bad cold. It was late morning and not really have a landscape photography composition or location in mind. After working all week what compensates is just choosing a good hiking location with good scenery and take the camera along, this is how I first got into landscape photography back in March 2016.
So that mid March morning I chose Wilmington hill. Wilmington Hill is one of the closest locations on the south downs in east Sussex to me with beautiful wide sweeping views and once up on the hills can be quite remote. Straight out of the car in the Wilmington priory carpark provided my first springtime shot with blossom in the trees.
The Long Man
Heading up the hills and the long man looks like its had a bit of a paint job. With the bright sunshine and high contrast the image looks more graphic black and white.
This was more about exercise, filling my lungs with fresh and getting some sunshine but was already snapping at the shutter button.
Alfriston viewpoint
A beautiful view from Wilmington hill is of Alfriston village and church spire with the brow of Bo Peep hill rising in the background.
Its a few years since I had walked this way and was seeing new composition possibilities. A dawn shoot with morning mist and a lilac sky could work well from here with the rising sun catching the church tower and hilltops.
Wilmington Hill Return
The following March weekend much the same really but hit Wilmington Hill around dawn and started from the Alfristion village viewpoint wanted to check the sunrise above Jevington and Butts Brow behind.
I messed up a great moonset that March morning on the drive to Wilmington. No morning mist but the rising sun not take long to light up the valley below. May have to wait until Autumn to get the visualisation.
Litlington White Horse
Had another good walk that morning heading down into the outskirts of Friston forest discovering some new beech woodland before heading back to Wilmington Hill.
Following the main footpaths back to Wilmington Hill provides some good viewpoints south and of the white horse of Litlington carved into the side of High and Over. Like the long man just north the white horse could do with a fresh coat of paint. Late morning and clouds in the sky add nice pools of light and shadow to the expansive landscape below.
Seaford Newhaven Lighthouse Moonset
Having missed a spectacular March moonset at dawn the morning before there was a second chance the next morning. Immediate problem was where to shoot it as wanted to include a landmark. Initially I check the moonsets angle on Photopills, then using my previous experience of visiting these locations try to visualise what would work. Newhaven lighthouse sprung to mind and it would line up nicely given no low cloud to the east which is not common from the location of Seaford beach.
It was hit and miss from the weather app predictions could be 40% cloud cover. Worth trying though so managed to get up in good time and make my way toward Seaford beach. By the time I reached Seaford looked almost clear to the west where the March full moon would set. One problem though was strong winds and cold! Tried setting up the 100-400mm lens on the tripod but a bit too windy. Problem is as the moon sets you have to keep moving to line up with the lighthouse.
As the moon lined up perfectly behind Newhaven lighthouse it fell into some haze on the horizon. By this time I had taken the camera off the tripod and was handholding. With 1/500 shutter speed was giving me an ISO of 8000 and a noisy image. In the field should have exposed more to the right to eliminate the noise, with IS on the lens could have dropped the shutter speed at least by half and fired in burst mode. Alternatively could have used the Seaford esplanade wall with the tripod set low to give a lot more stability.
Seaford Sunset
That same evening made a return to Seaford beach this time to shoot a sunset. The weather predictions were clear to the east but not materialise on location. As often happens the setting sun slid behind low cloud on the western horizon.
Overall this trip was a mistake. to the east behind me was clear and a full moon rising, I should have targeted this. Interestingly my 100-400mm lens stops down to F/40 I tried F/32 for a longer exposure to soften the sea, but should have just attached a ND filter. I was using the Seaford Esplanade sea wall for support for my tripod like a tabletop tripod with the legs stretched out. This raises your line of sight by a good 10 metres from down on the beach and apparently doubles the distance to the horizon from approx. 5 to 10 miles.
Cuckmere Brow Seven Sisters
Easter bank holiday weekend at the end of March and the conditions looked good for shooting Cuckmere Brow and the Seven Sisters chalk white cliffs from Seaford Head. Strong winds and high tide would occur around 1pm with sun and showers predicted. Not perfect as would prefer this to occur evening and dawn when the sun was lower in the sky but not golden hour wanted the blue white light hitting the cliffs not warm light.
Around 1pm you not have to wait long for someone to stand on the edge of the cliff. An essential element for my visualisation. Was hoping for darker clouds behind the cliffs, stronger winds and bigger waves below. Was shooting handheld around 350mm with the 100-400mm lens.
Cuckmere Haven
There are 1000s of different compositions within the location especially with a 24-400mm focal range at my disposal. Down at Cuckmere Haven the choppy sea at high tide made a good composition.
This is a composition have shot many times under different conditions. High tide works better as low tide looks too messy and busy.
Another composition around Cuckmere Haven was featuring a dead tree in the foreground with Haven Brow and the Seven sisters in the background. Its looks like a wide angle shot but was shot at 70mm at F11 standing back. At this focal range the cliffs don’t look to small in the background and F11 provides acceptable focus.
High and Over View
On the walk back to the Seaford Head Nature reserve car park there were some nice views north over the Cuckmere Valley to the peak of High and over.
Spring was in the air and the Rapeseed fields were beginning to sprout adding an nice splash of colour contrast.
Folkington Hill
Another return to Wilmington for a morning hike. This time taking the route around Folkington Hill. Again wanted to get outdoors with no composition in mind so just choose a location good for hiking and scenery. The weather was overcast and a little foggy so not a lot to work with.
There are now lots of wild ponies roaming on Wilmington and Folkington Hill. They are very shy and hard to frame. Thought a group of ponies would make a good focal point with the high key foggy background. Ideally they would have clear separation and looking at the camera. Not really got the patience for wildlife photography.
End of March
That wraps up my adventures with the camera during March 2024. I think one thing missing is some good photographs showcasing daffodils. Daffodils really define March but could not find a good bunch out in the wild. I think you have to visit stately homes and castles to get daffodils plus they are peaking earlier now even February. Looking forward though to April and bluebell woodland hikes.