Old Harry Rocks – Dorset, England

The weekend wake-up call at 0400 to travel someplace new for a chance at a spectacular sunrise is sometimes a tough sell. This past weekend, my wife and I decided to roll the dice and get up early so we could make the drive down to the Old Harry Rocks in Dorset and arrive before sunrise. The forecast was for mild winds and relatively clear skies. It was also, barely but literally, freezing. Still, we awoke early, grabbed the backpack of camera gear and coffee in travel mugs, and made the trek down. Boy, was it worth it.

As we hiked from the nearby (~1 mile away) car park, the first stop was for the shots below of the Pinnacles. Isolated figures standing apart from the striking cliffs of the coast. I took these first, just before the sun rose, to capture the moon and the blue/purple tints to the sky as the blue hour gave way to the golden hour of sunrise.

The sun is just about to rise off frame as the moon sets over the pinnacles near the Old Harry Rocks

Next, after jogging over to scout the location, I lugged the camera and tripod down to the middle of three promontories that extend from the shore. Here, though the angle isn’t perfect, you can see the sun as it crests the horizon and casts its golden light on the Old Harry Rock formations. When taken in spring/summer, wildflowers adorn the cliff’s edge. No such luck on a chilly day in early March, but the view was amazing despite the lack of floral color.

Standing on the projection on the west side of the Old Harry Rocks provides a beautiful view of the rising sun

I then returned to my original position on the southern side of the Old Harry Rocks to capture the golden glow of sunrise on the white cliff face. I thought a long exposure added a dramatic effect to the sea.

I fly the DJI Mini 2, which is an amazing little machine. However, it does struggle (in relative terms) with more modern or higher-class drones. So, I typically wait until the sun is well above the horizon before I launch the drone. Below are several photos captured with the capable DJI Mini 2.

If you’d like to see a short video of the drone footage, I’ve embedded a short version below. A longer version is available on my youtube channel. Subscribe and follow if you haven’t already!

When researching the location, I found an amazing guide written by Dorset photographer Daniel Wretham. I would recommend taking a look, whether you plan on visiting the Old Harry Rocks or not. He has some amazing work and his write-ups for this location and for Corfe Castle are absolutely brilliant. You can find the Old Harry Rocks write up here: https://www.danielwrethamphotography.com/post/dorset-landscape-photography-locations-old-harry-rocks