The LONG Walk (volume 2) - Hengistbury Head

Go LARGE!

First bus down, change for Southbourne. This long view over towards the headland that is Hengistbury Head was taken from the cliff before I dropped down onto the beach and was against the early morning light.

I've actually decreased contrast here and the shot required a massive FIVE stops underexposure!! The long end of my handheld 135-400mm on DX, equating to 600mm in 35mm terms. This is NOT actually black and white but colour but it did have a slight yellowish-green cast, which I removed.

After dropping down to the beach, getting more shots of people/dogs/assorted beach paraphanalia, plus a hovering buzzard, I climbed up that pathway that you can see, on the left of the headland. Where you can see that tiny person is where I looked out over towards Mudeford and Christchurch, including its wonderful Priory. It's also where the incoming storm, chasing me uphill from behind made me decide to shelter in the lee of that building on top.

The old lifeboat lookout station (with the mast) has long closed and been boarded up, but after I sought refuge, about another twenty others joined me to wait out a torrential downpour, which I then continued to snap as it made its way over the Needles and the Isle of Wight.

I then walked to Christchurch, via the Stour floodplain, which empties itself at Mudeford, with gorgeous views, cattle grazing in the wetlands. Along the other side of Christchurch to Tuckton, treated myself (very rare) to a meal at Harvesters and then waited out the cloudy dull weather until the forecasted sun broke through again. More photos of the boats with the Priory as a backdrop, then the little boat that's a ferry (£1) over to Christchurch itself proper.

An ice-cream, a coffee, just waffling around snapping the old castle ruins, round the Priory and then buses back home.

I swear my legs are now two inches shorter than they were yesterday and over 500 shots, 80% taken with that weighty non-stabilised 135-400mm. Tired? - not 'arf!  

A shot of the Wick Ferry I've posted here http://www.juzaphoto.com/galleria.php?t=1787884&l=en