Mist, Mishaps, and Milestones: A March of Creative Growth

March delivered a rich mix of light, weather, and emotion across Sussex and Kent—a month where every outing felt like part of a bigger creative shift. From fog-drenched woodlands to glassy low tides, each trip brought its own challenges and rewards, deepening my approach to both photography and videography. I found myself not only chasing images but also refining my tools, learning new rhythms, and reconnecting with familiar landscapes through fresh eyes.

This review brings together a series of location shoots that marked real growth in how I document the outdoors—both in stills and on video. Whether it was the moody silence of Coblye Wood, the golden calm of Seaford sunsets, or the chaotic mishap that nearly cost me a camera, every experience had something to teach. Here’s the story of March—told in photos, footage, and field notes from the road.

Exploring the Fog & Waterfalls of Coblye Wood

Returning to the High Weald woodlands in early March, I set out to follow a different stretch of the stream, weaving through Coblye Wood in search of more hidden waterfalls. The morning greeted me with thick mist, creating a moody atmosphere as I made my way through the trees at Prinkle wood.

At Coblye the wood was overgrown and wild, making the trek slow, with my tripod constantly catching on low branches as I moved. The effort was worth it, though—eventually, I came across a small but unique waterfall, tumbling over a fallen tree root, framed by moss-covered rocks and dense undergrowth. The mist was lifting by then, but I managed to capture a few long exposure shots before the last of it faded.

As I continued exploring, I encountered signs of wildlife—a startled bird of prey calling out overhead—and, more frustratingly, evidence of human carelessness in the form of shotgun cartridges and fly-tipping near the car park. Despite these intrusions, the woodland held onto its raw, untamed beauty, offering new compositions at every turn.

This outing was not just about capturing images, but also about refining my approach. I took notes, marked locations on What3Words, and used my new folding saw to clear distracting debris from potential compositions. I filmed sections of the walk as well, which you can watch in the video below.

This trip brought me one step closer to fully mapping out the waterfalls along this stretch of woodland, but there’s still more to explore. With more rain in the forecast, I’ll be returning soon to see how the streams evolve—perhaps next time, under the perfect blend of mist and morning sunlight.

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📍 Seaford Beach – Newhaven Lighthouse Sunset

This was the standout photo mission of the month. I returned to Seaford Beach to retry a shot I first attempted back in September 2023 — the sun perfectly aligned behind Newhaven Lighthouse. This time, I made two visits across consecutive evenings.

The first evening offered calm conditions, a hazy horizon, and a smooth sea — the sun dipped red behind the lighthouse with clean alignment. The second evening brought unexpected sea fog, completely obscuring the view until minutes before sunset when it cleared just enough to reveal the lighthouse in perfect silhouette.

Two different moods. Two unique results.
One of the best sequences I’ve captured so far — and the experience has already been turned into a full video, blog post, and photo set.

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Dungeness: A Walk Through Shingle and Shadows

One of the most memorable outings this March was a return to Dungeness, one of England’s most unique and otherworldly landscapes. It’s a place I keep revisiting — not just because of its surreal beauty, but because it keeps revealing something new each time, especially through video.

This time I brought my Samsung S24 Ultra, not just for stills, but to shoot video across two days of walking. I explored both the Dungeness estate, with its iconic lighthouses, foxes, and quirky dwellings, and the vast nature reserve, where pylons stretch across marshland and golden grasses sway beside silent lakes.

As I edited the footage, I realised how shooting video allowed me to see compositions I’d missed in the moment — railway lines leading to nowhere, moody clouds over the power station, and the subtle glow of golden hour washing over the landscape. Dungeness is a shingle desert, technically speaking, and it really does feel like another planet.

👉 Watch the full video below for a visual journey through this vast and haunting coastal edge:

This visit was as much about photographic discovery as it was about testing my video workflow — from shooting and editing in CapCut, to uploading and experimenting with intros and subtitles. It’s all part of the journey as I branch out into landscape videography, and this Dungeness video is a real milestone.

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Bexhill Sunset & Moonrise

After days indoors, I headed to Galley Hill in Bexhill hoping to catch the full moon rising as the sun set. The skies were dramatic—blustery showers, bursts of golden light, and even a rainbow. I shot handheld, switching between lenses constantly to capture fast-changing scenes. The rainbow popped with the polariser, but I missed some settings while rushing, like forgetting to lower the minimum shutter speed after changing lenses—resulting in unnecessarily high ISO.

When the moon finally appeared, it was already high. I tried using the 1.4x extender for a 560mm reach, but handheld results weren’t sharp. The shoot felt a bit chaotic and random, but it delivered rich colour, mood, and useful lessons—especially about slowing down and checking settings when shooting on the fly.

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🌒 Seaford Moonset & Eclipse Surprise – March Highlights

One of the most memorable shoots this month came with a 4AM alarm and a quiet walk onto Seaford Beach. The mission was clear: capture the full moon setting behind Newhaven Lighthouse, lining up for that perfect composition I’d been chasing.

But nature threw in a twist—what was supposed to be a full moon turned out to be a partial lunar eclipse, with the moon gradually fading as it dropped lower toward the horizon. I didn’t expect it, and that uncertainty made the experience even more compelling.

I misjudged my initial position, landing too far east on the beach. What followed was a frantic shuffle west across the shingle, realigning on the fly and watching the gap close between the lighthouse and the moon. I caught a few strong frames—one of them my favourite of the month: the slivered moon hanging above the lighthouse in a soft dawn sky.

This shoot reminded me that videography is a different mindset to photography—not just capturing the decisive moment, but tracking the unfolding story. I took long exposures, balanced filters, rushed setups, and tried to stay present while also filming for YouTube. It felt like a real test of everything I’ve been learning.

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Seven Sisters Country Park – Morning Walk

A crisp, clear morning unfolded from the Seven sisters country park. Around Exceat Hill and the Cuckmere River, offering the kind of light landscape photographers hope for—soft, golden, and just cold enough to keep the frost on the grass.

I followed a familiar route with fresh eyes, passing the old church monument and pausing to shoot swans on the river, horses backlit in the low sun, and distant glimpses of the Litlington White Horse on High and Over. The air was still, the reflections clean, and the South Downs quietly glowing.

What made this shoot different was the growing pull of videography. Alongside the long lens compositions and wildlife stills, I was filming—slow pans, horizon-locked sequences, and sound-rich clips to build mood. It made me notice more. This wasn’t just a walk; it was a study in motion and atmosphere. A full video from the morning is now up, capturing the peace and pace of the park in early spring.

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Exceat Hill to Cuckmere Haven – Sunset Shoot

This late afternoon walk began high on Exceat Hill, looking down over the sweeping curves of the Cuckmere Valley with the aim of reaching the Seven Sisters cliffs by sunset. I took a quieter route in, avoiding the crowds below, and explored a few new footpaths that opened up unexpected views across the landscape. Light remained strong and clear through the afternoon, with low tide revealing wide stretches of reflective beach.

By the time I reached Cuckmere Haven, the cliffs were glowing in the last light, and the calm sea had left a large, glassy pool—perfect for capturing reflections of Butts Brow. There was little wind, which made conditions near ideal for long exposures. While the sunset didn’t quite fire across the sky as hoped, the stillness of the scene made it one of the more peaceful and rewarding shoots of the month. The long hike back in the dark was worth every step.

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Cuckmere River Sunset – A Lesson in Chaos and Recovery

What started as a focused return to Exceat Hill to photograph the winding shape of the Cuckmere River at sunset quickly spiralled into one of those unforgettable fieldwork disasters. I had scouted the composition from a previous video shoot, hoping to capture the sun dropping behind Seaford Head with the river as the main subject. But several hours and footpaths later, I opened my bag near the river and realised my camera was missing—left miles away on a hillside rest stop earlier in the afternoon.

What followed was a frantic, punishing hike back across the valley, unsure if I’d find it still there. Somehow, I did—just in time to turn, breathless, and catch the sun slipping below the horizon in a burnished red sky. The original shot was lost to chaos, but in return, I was handed something better: a dramatic sky, new footpaths, and a hard-earned reminder of how fragile and valuable each shoot can be.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Looking back, March felt like a turning point—where the shift from still photography to storytelling in motion really began to take hold. Each outing, whether calm or chaotic, became more than just a photo mission; it became part of a larger journey toward capturing the soul of a place through light, movement, and memory. With spring unfolding and new ideas brewing, I’m heading into April with renewed focus—and a deeper sense of what it means to walk, see, and share.