First walk and landscape photography of January 2023 took me over Wilmington Hill and pass Alfriston village in East Sussex on a beautiful winters day and dramatic south downs scenery.

Winter Break

While taking a winter sunshine break in Tunisia there had been non stop rain and flooding in East Sussex over the Christmas break, so planned that right. The day after I returned there was a break in the rain, sunshine and some dramatic cumulus clouds. Decided to take a walk over Wilmington Hill and follow the footpaths back round pass Alfriston.

Parking

There is free parking at the foot of Wilmington Hill just up from the church of the good shepherd not showing on google maps but does show on OS Maps. Alternatively can park in Wilmington and follow the hill up pass the long man.

Windover Hill Lone tree

Was a glorious January winters day as I ascended Wilmington Hill with the fantastic views of the valley, the south downs and Bo Peep.

One of my favourite spots is the lone windswept tree on top of Windover Hill on the south downs. Experimented with the view angle and the separation of the tree from the background. Had to consider focus and depth of field given the tree was in the foreground. Want to work a sunrise shoot from here in the near future.

Bostal Hill Bo Peep

With the winter sun at a right angle using a polariser really popped the colours and contrast between light and shade. I think its a good idea in such conditions to capture the composition with and without a polariser. The 200mm lens allowed the zooming in to the detail, the lone farmhouse, the south downs ridge to Bostal hill and Bo Peep. Good interest with cumulus clouds in the sky fills the frame.

Alfriston Village

After indulging in the views from the top of Wilmington and Windover hill followed the south downs way towards Lullington Heath nature reserve.

Pass Lullington heath following footpaths on the descent provided some great views north west of the village of Alfriston, the impressive church of St Andrew, which was the focus point and the south downs rising in the background.

Dramatic Skies Clouds

Good walk over the south downs from Wilmington pass Alfriston and back to the car park. At the car park looking back to Bostal Hill and Bo Peep were some dramatic light and cumulus clouds.

200mm telephoto lens

Just handholding the camera with the 200mm lens, polariser, raising the ISO to get fast enough shutter speed, focusing beyond infinity widest aperture of F5.6. The 200mm lens is now becoming my go to lens, zooming in on the detail, filling the frame. Rarely now am I using a wide angle lens.

Check out the January 2023 landscape photography gallery.

Check out the East Sussex landscape photography gallery.