Over the hills and far away

If this isn't an Indian summer, then I don't know what is. Temperatures are well above the seasonal average, and the stiff breeze blowing over the Isle of Purbeck is noticeably warm. But that's not why I'm here.

Today, it's a feasibility study of the photo kit I intend to shoot with during the coming months. It's the usual arrangement of a camera body and two lenses, but now with the added weight of a tripod. A travel tripod, that is. I rarely use one, as carrying one any distance quickly becomes an encumbrance because of its weight - and to some extent, size. Travel tripods are small and lightweight, but any tripod to a landscape photographer is useless if always left at home. Hopefully, this will solve the problem.

I'm not mentioning any brand names as everyone will have their own needs and preferences, but it turns out that one that folds down to just under 50 cm in length, weighs-in at 1.4 kg and is of carbon fibre construction, ticks all the boxes for me when walking the local hills.

© 2026

The Agglestone Rock (aka Devil's Anvil)

A visit to the Agglestone Rock, approximately one mile (1.6 km) from the village of  Studland, Isle of Purbeck, is listed as one of the twenty-five things (is that all?) to do in Dorset before you die. Well, in that case I scrubbed that one off my list decades ago as I've photographed it on numerous occasions before I even became aware of that.

The 400 tonne tertiary sandstone block on Godlingston Heath used to be anvil shaped, but it toppled onto its side in 1970 due to erosion, and has has remained that way ever since.

Local legend (isn't there always one?) has it that the Devil threw it from The Needles at the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, with the intention of hitting either Corfe Castle, Bindon Abbey or Salisbury Cathedral. In any of those cases he proved to be a very poor aim as he missed all three by some margin.

Today's visit reveals the effects of a heath fire; something that was all too frequent during the summer heatwaves when heathland and forests became tinder dry through lack of rain. Whether through natural causes or deliberate action, the burnt areas are already beginning to recover.

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Nine Barrow Down

I'm not sure if what I'm getting at the moment qualifies as an Indian Summer, but it's 21º C outside with glorious sunshine. In fact, I couldn't ask for better conditions for landscape photography. Today, I'm walking Nine Barrow Down on Isle of Purbeck from east to west. The weather was forecast to be changeable, and the scudding clouds are creating ever changing light: my kind of light. 

 2026

Oh, to be in England, now that photo season's here

The five widespread heatwaves that plagued the UK during the hottest summer on record - along with their persistent (and featureless) azure skies - have come and gone. Temperatures have dropped to a manageable twenty degrees celsius or so; the days are becoming noticeably shorter and the skies have returned. Photo season has arrived.

This week I have planned three trips to the Downs on Dorset's Isle of Purbeck. They are a favourite location for photography, with stunning views on offer in all directions. In addition, the weather forecasts look promising. Today's visit is to Ballard Down (featured above), ending at the beginning (or ending - depending on which way you are travelling) to UNESCO's Jurassic Coast and Old Harry's Rocks.

Today, it's all about light, shade, and polarising filters.

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It was twenty years ago today...

When I started this blog, it never for one moment crossed my mind that it would run as long as it has. Okay, today's image* may (or may not) be particularly inspiring - but then again, nor was the image I posted to celebrate the tenth anniversary, but it's twenty years ago today that I became a photographic presence on the internet.

*Ongoing development of Premiership football team AFC Bournemouth's stadium.

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The race is on

My local football club, apart from finishing at its highest ever position in the Premiership (sixth) has, for the first time ever in its 127-year history, qualified for European football* next season. 

No, really. Once considered by some to be a club with no real ambition, it came to within a whisker of becoming extinct during the 2008-9 season before staging a meteoric rise to top flight football in the English League just six years later.

The ground - Dean Court (currently known as Vitality Stadium for sponsorship purposes), was totally rebuilt in 2001, and has a present capacity of 11,300. However, plans have recently been approved to develop the site, which will include the demolition of the south stand and the filling-in of all four corners of the ground to increase the crowd capacity to nearly double.

Working on a Bank Holiday, the race is on to get some of that work finished before the start of the next season in August... and European competition.

*Europa League

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Blue carpet

                                                                       Bluebells in King's Woods, Challock.

© 2026