First landscape photography trip of August and I wanted to catch the Golden hour from the south downs looking east from Swanborough hill near Kingston.

Golden Hour

I had been meaning to experiment with this shoot since visiting this part of the south downs where there are magnificent views looking east from the tops of the hills there. I imagined golden hour would be very special with the low sun setting behind me in the north west, it would light up the valley below and the hills either side with directional light. That was the theory anyway. Catching the golden hour this way is contrary to catching the sunset looking the other way, such as I did from Wilmington Hill and Willington Hill a few weeks before.

Infinity Focus

The other experiment I wanted to perform was focusing on infinity rather than the hyperfocal which I had be using recently with my shoot over Castle Hill.  With Infinity focus I would be setting the focal point to any hills in the far distance and using F/8 which for my Canon 15-85mm should be the sweet spot.  I was still after those tack sharp images throughout the depth of field.

Motivation

I am more enthusiastic going out walking in the morning, not too early though, hence I miss the dawn golden hour this time of year. With an evening shoot, there is more people about and with it being quite a drive, the roads are also busy, also, out of habit I just get more lethargic as the day wears on, it interrupts with my meal times etc. But as a landscape photographer if you want to catch the golden hour leading up to dusk then need to get motivated. Once I am out on those hills of the south downs, I feel so much better.

Southease Along the river Ouse

I had done my planning on OS Maps online and I would attempt to park at either Rodmell or Southease and walk along the river Ouse towards Piddinghoe and then take the footpaths over the south downs making my way  to Swanborough Hill.  I had walked the river Ouse before but heading in the opposite direction towards Lewes.

There was nothing to photograph south towards Piddinghoe along the river ouse, I had not got my planning right and I would be lucky to make Swanborough hill around 7:30PM when the Golden hour would be in full swing.  But I wanted to do a walk first and the south downs around Southease is unexplored by me up to now.

Once on the south downs I started to get landscape viewpoints worth photographing but not stop as wanted to make it to my destination before the golden hour was over. But soon those viewpoints became too hot to ignore anymore and the golden hour had started.

Photographing in the golden hour and focusing on infinity was making a difference.  The light hitting Itford hill and mount caburn was striking, looking at a map only, you just dont know these viewpoints exist not until you are there on your feet with your camera.

F/8 and focusing on infinity everytime I touched the shutter the image turned to gold as I reached the little hamlet of Telscombe.  It was all kind of a mad rush though as I did not want to miss any of the golden hour.

The light was just perfect, it not matter that I was still along way away from my destination, wherever you are on the south downs always makes a good subject for a landscape photograph.

Blue Hour South Downs

Pass Southease hill through cricketing bottom, through a farm and up to Mill Hill and there I took a rest as the golden hour turned into the blue hour.

I was now back on the south downs way heading towards my original target passing a field of sunflowers.  With the sun now having set and some lingering clouds in the sky they were turning different hues of purple and red giving some fantastic colour contrasts.

I really was in my element now, viewpoints I had not witnessed before, very good visibility and light breeze which were all contributing to some great landscape photographs of the south downs during the blue hour.

Just short of Swanborough hill I caught the last few minutes of an orange sky as the sun set.  I was not going to make it up there, not tonight, it was now too late, the golden hour light show was now over.

I got my last shot on top of the south downs looking back to Mill hill and firle beacon in the background with a striking purple sky above.  This light show in the sky during the blue hour can be very fleeting, one minute its there, the next it is gone.

I took a right down White Way to northease farm and then followed Piddinghoe road to the village of Rodmell where I would stop off for a pint in the  Abergavenny Arms.  Finally making it back to Southease in the pitch black with my torch, where I had parked my car.

Great night out

I really need to get out more during the golden and blue hour over the south downs, what a difference the light makes and focusing on infinity when there is nothing in the immediate foreground you need to include in your frame.  I still had to return to catch the golden hour from Swanborough hill, better planning next time, but a great night out walking and landscape photographing.