jurassic coast
photography
workshop

ian middleton: photography - Weekend Photography Workshops & Courses

2½ Days

easy-moderate

TBA

A coastal photography tour & workshop on the fascinating Jurassic Coast in Dorset, UK.

Join me, Ian Middleton, for a photography workshop & tour on the beautiful Jurassic Coast of Dorset in the UK. Stretching along Dorset and Devon, the Jurassic Coast is so-named because its landscape and geology record 185 million years of the Earth’s history. The coastline is packed with fantastic photographic opportunities at anytime of the year.

 

The Jurassic Coast is one of many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the UK, and a perfect place to learn photography with its jagged, rocky coastline providing many great coastal landscape features. Photograph Durdle Door rock arch amid its glistening pebble beach. Capture the lighthouse and Pulpit Rock at Portland Bill promontory surrounded by crashing waves. Shoot the beautiful half moon bay at Kimmeridge as the low tide reveals its fascinating rocky underworld. Or trudge out early morning to the gorgeous white chalk cliff at Old Harry, equally as amazing as the White Cliffs of Dover.

 

We will be based at the heights hotel on the beautiful island of Portland, which also provides an amazing view across Chesil Beach, one of England’s three major shingle beaches. It stretches off 29kms all the way from the start of the Isle of Portland to West Bay. To the right your view takes you off across the lovely Weymouth harbour and bay.

 

The first day of photography on this UK workshop will begin in the afternoon once everyone has arrived and checked in. It will end after sunset on the last day. Accommodation will be included for the first two nights, but should you need or want to arrive earlier or stay longer, then I can arrange extra nights for you.

WORKSHOP INFO

Workshop type

Small group workshop (4-6 people)

AVAILABLE AS

2½ Days (2 nights)

dates 2021

TBA

price per person

Groups

£ 550 £100 deposit
  • Per person
  • Single occupancy
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Durdle Door in the moonlight, Dorset, England. Captured late evening as the moonlight flooded through the rock's archway. The long exposure has also produced some nice star trails to the right of the arch. Durdle door is one of the many stunning locations to visit on the Jurassic coast in southern England.
View across the cliffs to Bats Head from the cliffs above Durdle Door beach as the sun goes down for the evening, Dorset, England. Durdle door is one of the many stunning locations to visit on the Jurassic coast in southern England.
Sunrise at Old Harry Rocks, at Handfast Point on the Isle of Purbeck, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England. A UNESCO World Heritage Site
The beautiful coastal landscape at Kimmeridge bay in Dorset. This is one of the many wonders to be found on the Jurassic coast, an UNESCO world heritage site.
Lighthouse at Portland Bill, near Weymouth, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England.
Evening view of Durdle Door beach, Dorset, England. Durdle door is one of the many stunning locations to visit on the Jurassic coast in southern England.
The beautiful coastal landscape at Kimmeridge bay in Dorset. This is one of the many wonders to be found on the Jurassic coast, an UNESCO world heritage site.
Lighthouse at Portland Bill, near Weymouth, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England.
The beautiful coastal landscape at Kimmeridge bay in Dorset. This is one of the many wonders to be found on the Jurassic coast, an UNESCO world heritage site.
Sunrise at Old Harry Rocks, at Handfast Point on the Isle of Purbeck, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England. A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Seacombe Bay and Cliffs on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. Seacombe Bay is one of the many stunning locations to visit on the Jurassic coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southern England
Dusk over the beautiful coastal landscape at Kimmeridge bay in Dorset. This is one of the many wonders to be found on the Jurassic coast, an UNESCO world heritage site.
Durdle Door in the moonlight, Dorset, England. Durdle door is one of the many stunning locations to visit on the Jurassic coast in southern England.
The beautiful coastal landscape at Kimmeridge bay in Dorset. This is one of the many wonders to be found on the Jurassic coast, an UNESCO world heritage site.
Durdle Door beach as the afternoon cloud breaks up, Dorset, England. Durdle door is one of the many stunning locations to visit on the Jurassic coast in southern England.
The beautiful coastal landscape at Kimmeridge bay in Dorset. This is one of the many wonders to be found on the Jurassic coast, an UNESCO world heritage site.
Close up of Durdle Door as the last wisp of light disappears over the horizon at dusk, Dorset, England. Durdle door is one of the many stunning locations to visit on the Jurassic coast in southern England.
The beautiful coastal landscape at Kimmeridge bay in Dorset. This is one of the many wonders to be found on the Jurassic coast, an UNESCO world heritage site.
Morning light at Old Harry Rocks, at Handfast Point on the Isle of Purbeck, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England. A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Durdle Door in the evening with the rising moon above it, Dorset, England. Durdle door is one of the many stunning locations to visit on the Jurassic coast in southern England.
Morning light at Old Harry Rocks, at Handfast Point on the Isle of Purbeck, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England. A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Seacombe Bay and Cliffs on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. Seacombe Bay is one of the many stunning locations to visit on the Jurassic coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southern England
Lighthouse at Portland Bill in the early morning sun, near Weymouth, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England.
The Pinnacles at Old Harry Rocks, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England. A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Lighthouse at Portland Bill in the early morning sun, near Weymouth, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England.
Pulpit Rock at Portland Bill, near Weymouth, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England.
View across Portland, Chesil Beach and Weymouth harbour, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England.
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itinerary

Locations:

Portland Bill, Durdle Door, Kimmeridge Bay, Old Harry, Weymouth, West Bay, Seacombe, Corfe Castle

Read my blog about Durdle Door here:

The exact itinerary might change slightly depending on the time of year and conditions, but will consist of roughly the following:

Day 1
Sunset and Dusk shoot at Portland Bill lighthouse and Pulpit Rock

After settling into your hotel, we will start our photography workshop by heading down to the southern tip of the isle of Portland to photograph the sunset and blue hour (twilight) at the famous lighthouse, one of many Trinity Lighthouses in the UK, and pulpit rock. The sea around this headland is extremely rough and provides some great opportunities. Here, for those who need it, I will show you how to freeze the waves as they crash against the rocks, and later as the sun goes down we’ll learn how to capture smooth, etheral looking water effects like below. Then it’s back to the hotel for lessons on how to best process your photos, over a nice pint of English beer!

 

Day 2
Dawn and sunrise shoot at Portland Bill, Abbotsbury, afternoon at Lulworth cove and evening at Durdle Door

We’ll get up before dawn and head back to the lighthouse to capture the dawn and sunrise and photograph this headland from the other side. Then after breakfast we’ll head to Abbotsbury and photograph this quaint village and also the stunning views of Chesil Beach. We’ll have lunch either in Weymouth or head on to lunch at Lulworth Cove. The afternoon and evening will be spent exploring the wonderful Lulworth Cove and we’ll walk along the coastal path to the famous rock arch of Durdle Door for an evening, sunset and dusk shoot. Then back to the hotel.

 

Day 3
Kimmeridge Bay, Corfe Castle, Swanage, Old Harry.

Today we’ll get up very early and head to Old Harry cliffs for a dawn and sunrise shoot.  Then we’ll head off along this coastline, stopping at a few different locations before heading to Corfe Castle and Swanage. We’ll have lunch somewhere around here and then head to Kimmeridge Bay for a sunset shoot. This small cove and beach provides some great scenery with the clavel tower folly perched upon a hill at the edge of the bay, and receding tides expose some great rocky ledges.

  • positive review  I am a solo female traveller who enjoys landscape photography as a hobby and because this was my first trip abroad on my own I decided to book a one to one workshop with Ian, not just for the tuition but also to enable me to photograph in areas I would not otherwise have been able to get to and Ian also provided Hotel pick up and drop off. I attended the workshop on 23/10/2019 around Lake Bohinj in Slovenia. The workshop was originally planned for a Sunrise, however due to Ian’s knowledge he informed me the day before that storms were forecast for early morning, therefore recommended we changed to an 11.30am pickup instead and then stay out later for Sunset and the Blue Hour. When we arrived at Lake Bohinj, Ian took me a walk around various possible composition points and he was very informative in what to look for in a composition and how to research where the best light will be depending on the time of day. He gave me details of Apps he recommended for accurate weather forecasts and to advise on where the sun would rise and set etc. Although the heavy storms had passed, the sky remained very grey and cloudy most of the day, therefore Ian took me to two lakeside locations and a beautiful waterfall quite high up in the mountains where we could make the most of the moody conditions. Unfortunately the cloudy weather did not improve enough for me to photograph a Sunset, however Ian took me to a spot where I was able to photograph in the Blue Hour that follows Sunset which was a new experience for me and I learnt such a lot. Throughout the day Ian allowed me to set up my own compositions and then would advise on focal point, aperture, ISO etc. and if filters could improve the exposure depending on the light. He also gave advice on long exposures, when and when not to try them depending on the movement of the clouds and water and also how to reduce the exposure time by changing other settings on the camera. Ian’s method of teaching is excellent and he answered all my questions in an easy to understand way. Ian is a very friendly and easy to talk to guy and his expertise in landscape photography is evident. I would not hesitate to book another workshop with him.

    Lynn McIlhone Avatar Lynn McIlhone
    August 26, 2019

  • positive review  Excellent one-to-one photography workshop at Lake Bled, Slovenia. Not just covering the techniques but also thinking about image composition and the impact of clouds on the final result. Thoroughly enjoyable and made me rethink the way I take photographs. Thank you, Shaun

    Shaun Dunphy Avatar Shaun Dunphy
    June 11, 2018

included in the price

Accommodation: 2 nights in a single room
(I can arrange extra nights if required)

All transport on workshop days

All tuition and guidance

Free ebook guide to photography

not included in the price

Flights

Lunch and Dinner

Travel insurance
(Guests must ensure they have their own travel insurance)

Suitable for:

DSLR users ideally (but some advanced compact or bridge SLRs may suit. Contact me to discuss whether your camera is suitable or not). This is especially useful for compact users whose camera is not advanced enough for the beginners workshop. Instead, you can come here and learn how to get the best from your camera.

difficulty level

This workshop involves a fair bit of walking on grassy terrain which could likely be wet and muddy. Good sturdy, water resistant boots are advised. At Durdle door there is quite a steep walk from the car park to the beach. We will be coming down from the clifftop.

equipment needed

Camera (Obviously)

Tripod.

Remote shutter release cable.

Spare batteries.

Raincover (or umbrella).

equipment desired

Polarising filter

Neutral density filter

ND grad filters

Head or hand torch
(for working, and getting back to the car in the dark)

getting to UK

Best option for Dorset is to fly to London.

getting to the location

We will be based at the Heights Hotel in Portland. You can get there by train to Weymouth and then a bus or taxi onwards.

what to wear

It will be winter, so warm clothes. Ideally layers that can remove or put on as we’ll either be shooting before sunrise or after sunset, in the dark, when it will be colder. You will also need a raincoat.

Group bookings

Group bookings are available on request.
Contact me for more info

Booking

If you are interested in this workshop then you can enquire or book via the contact form below.

Payment

Once a booking is agreed you will be sent an invoice for payment, a deposit of £100 is payable upon booking and the balance is due at least 4 weeks before the workshop date, unless otherwise agreed or booking was made closer to the date. Payment can be made by bank transfer, paypal or personal cheque.

cancellations

If your workshop is cancelled for any reason by me then a full refund will be given, or you will have the chance to join another group. Should you cancel for any reason after payment has been made then a full refund will be given up to one week before the workshop date, but after that a full refund will only be given if I have a minimum of three people on the date of your booking.

detailed ebook

I know how hard it can be to try and scribble down notes at any kind of lesson or workshop, so to this end I have created a detailed ebook that is totally free.

download the ebook here

enquire

Contact form