A Look Back at 2020

Whilst 2020 was one of the strangest years ever for many different reasons. When time and restrictions allowed I made the most of these opportunities to get out and do some exploring. With trips to Scotland and Wales in January and February giving me some travel time early in the year, the end of the year saw me exploring my local area along the south coast a lot more.

As we now enter a new year with another lockdown and set of restrictions in place, I thought I would take some time to look back at some of my favourite images captured in 2020.

This first image was taken closer to home than any other image in this look back. Its a location that I have visited many times, but never have I experienced a sunrise there quite like this. Taken at Lepe Country Park in Hampshire, it looks east along the Solent and often provides plenty of opportunities for sunrises throughout the year.

The structures that feature in the image are known as the Lepe Dolphins. The remains of piers built during World War II for the D-Day embarkations. They provide a very unique focal point to any landscape image on this section of coastline. 

Having travelling north to Scotland many times growing up and it being the country that potentially had the biggest impact on me and my love for landscape photography. Buachaille Etive Mor was always one of my favourite locations to photograph as I developed my technique and it lives long in my memory to this day. A location that I just can’t not visit when in the area.
This image was taken on a very cold February morning on the way to the Isle of Skye. Recent snowfall had began to disappear, but enough remained to create a real mood and feel of isolation I haven’t experienced many times at this spot.

After planning for a while it took quick trip back in early March to the Brecons. I had hiked up to the top of Pen y Fan a couple of weeks earlier, but was left with 40mph winds and awful visibility on the summit. Not to be deterred, I made the trip back across to Wales when I saw a good weather window approaching.

The second morning I climbed Pen y Fan, initially  I feared there could be a chance of being left with a very similar outcome to my previous trip. Half way up the hill I was faced with dense cloud and persistent drizzle. After continuing on to the summit, shortly after arriving I want treated to some pretty special conditions. The cloud began to lift and the sun lit up the face of neighbouring Corn Du to create a pretty epic scene! 

Having spent many summers growing up on the Cornish Coast. Its always been one of my favourite spots to head for sunset along the west coast. After a short visit last summer to shoot a couple of different locations, I spent an evening photographing Godrevy Lighthouse against a pretty special sunset backdrop. It being my first time at this location, I was keen to maximise the variety of shots I captured. After going through my results I felt the drone shots taken from above the lighthouse really just emphasised that sense of isolation that I had hoped for before heading to the location. I couldn’t of really asked for much better light.

This image taken back in February was from a long overdue trip to the Isle of Skye which lead to some of the most changeable and exciting weather conditions I have ever experienced on a 7 day trip

One late afternoon we headed to The Fairy Pools knowing a dusting of snow had coated the upper hills the night previously and I was really hoping for a certain mood across the scene. Upon arriving at the location we were swiftly greeted by a torrential hail storm. Using a rain cover for my backpack as a makeshift shelter, we weathered the downpour and were soon greeted by a moment of calm. A lovely soft light added enough drama to provide me with a shot that more than made up for the soaking we received minutes earlier. 

Having never really experimented with any kind of Astro photography before, this year I was keen to try taking more images in a style I’ve not tried before. This image was taken on a sunset to sunrise night out in Dorset. After capturing a sunset further down the coast, I then headed for Portland Bill to try my hand at capturing the Milky Way for the first time.
The forecast looked ideal and the temperature was perfect to spend a few hours practicing the techniques involved. Considering that it was my first time attempting Astro photography like this, I left the lighthouse in the early hours of the morning pretty pleased with the results from the evenings photography. The lighthouse providing a perfect foreground for the Milky Way stretching across the night sky beyond. I will certainly be aiming to experiment more with night photography in 2021.

Having grown up in the West Midlands and still travelling back up to see family most months, Shropshire and the surrounding hills are one of my favourite areas to photograph when home. Known as Little Switzerland, Church Stretton has some of the most amazing scenery that can easily be mistaken for a much more mountainous environment. This image was taken looking along the ridge towards the Long Mynd with heather in full bloom. A sunrise shot that I have been looking to capture for many years and this particular morning, the conditions were almost perfect

This image was a pretty unexpected shot captured on a sunrise trip out to Durdle Door. After heading for mist and low cloud at Corfe Castle before sunrise, the fog was so dense the Castle couldn’t even be seen. Making a quick decision to ditch my plans at the castle, I headed straight for Durdle Door and was greeted by some of the most impressive sea mist I had ever seen.
Just before reaching the ridge overlooking the Arch, I always love photographing to neighbouring Man O’ War Beach. The mist rolling in and the early morning light catching the surrounding cliffs provided the perfect mood for a shot I have captured so many times before.

A spontaneous trip in September to the Lake District brought with it some of the most changable weather conditions I think I’ve ever seen. Arriving in Cumbria to floods and torrential rain, this soon changed to three days of sunshine and showers.
After a washout out of a first day in the area, our second day held slightly more promise. We headed for Wast Water for sunset and after a short wait, a weather window opened and we were greeted with some of the most stunning late evening light you could wish for. Throw in a rainbow spanning the lake for good measure and you leave the location much happier than when you arrived.

With 2020 being one of the most strange, unpredictable years, as I look back at all of the images captured I think this one is possibly my favourite. It was taken towards the end of the year at a place I found myself heading to throughout the year as a place to clear the head. Whether it be for a sunrise, sunset or just a bike ride for a change of scenery.
This was easily the most stunning sunrise I had experienced throughout the year and it all started from a cloudy outlook that offered little hope before dawn. Hengistbury Head is not far from home and is one of the most diverse locations locally that offers so much for landscape photographers. I’ll definitely be back to try and top the sunrise, but I fear it may be a tough task!

This image is taken during a short window of the year which is popular with so many photographers nationwide. Between December and January each year, the sun aligns with the archway at Durdle Door to provide one of the most impressive sunrises you’ll see.
The morning I captured this image, I wasn’t holding out much hope with a thick cloud bank on the horizon. Patience and a bit of hope kept my on the beach longer than I may of normally stayed and I was certainly rewarded when shortly after sunrise the sun appeared above the cloud and rewarded my patience. It’s an image I’ve captured several times before, but I think this maybe my favourite yet. I’ll certainly be back this year to give it another go though.

This final image was taken not too long ago on Christmas Day. A spontaneous trip planned late the night before saw us leave the house on Christmas morning at about 5am. Parking up at Lulworth Cove just after 6am we made the trek across the range walks towards Mupe Bay. Despite living on the doorstep of Dorset for almost a decade, I had never made the trip across to Mupe Bay before.
Arriving just as the sun peaked the horizon the initial shot I had in mind I wanted to capture of the isolated sea stacks out in the bay didn’t quite work on the day. The position of the sun wasn’t where I wanted it, but just as I felt the image wasn’t going to happen, I saw the early morning light on the cliff edges and rocks behind me. As the waves crashed in the sunlight and the surrounding leading lights, I ended up heading away from the mornings hike with a better image than I could ever have imagined.