Last year I visited the Jurassic Coast of Dorset, England, and ever since I've been meaning to write a short overview of my experience and thoughts; hoping it may be of interest to other photographers considering a trip.

It was October, and I decided to camp; it was a bit chilly at times, but I enjoy camping, so it wasn't really a major issue for me. If you don't mind camping, there's a campsite literally on-top of Durdle Door, which is one of the key Jurassic Coast landmarks, and is well situated for visiting other parts of this beautiful World Heritage coastline - this is the Durdle Door Holiday Park. I passed through this holiday park a few times, when making my way to the Durdle Door car-park, and it looked very nice. However, due to my late-season visit I stayed at one of the only campsites which was open at the time of year - Sandyholme Holiday Park. I enjoyed my stay, the site was basic but provided everything I needed, and was very quiet at that time of year, which was a bonus for me. Alternatively if you're not the camping type, you'll be happy to hear there's lots of B&B's in the surrounding area, varying greatly in comfort and price.

Now, onto the photography. I've been lucky enough to have visited some of the most beautiful natural wonders around the world, and I can honestly say the Jurassic Coast is up there with the best of them, it really is stunning. Listed in the UNESCO World Heritage list as 'Dorset and East Devon Coast', it's the only 'Natural' World Heritage site in England, and in my opinion it's a 'must-visit' for any serious landscape photographer. Unfortunately for me, the skies were overcast for the duration of my three-night stay. With the clouds rarely clearing, the golden-hours never produced the spectacularly colourful skies which I was hoping for. Regardless of this, I did my best to be out for every sunrise and sunset, and came home with a few shots that I'm really pleased with - if only us photographers could control the weather!

With three visits on this trip, Durdle Door was my most visited area of the coast, and being late in the year it was almost deserted every time, with just a few people around. I've heard that it can get very busy in the peak Summer months, something worth considering if you're hoping for a shot that conveys a tranquil scene! Another of my favourite spots was Kimmeridge Bay, only about five to six miles from Durdle Door. Although I never had any good light to work with, I saw so much potential at Kimmeridge. The layers of textured rock jutting out into the sea create so many beautiful patterns, shapes and lines; given a nice colourful sunrise or sunset, one could come away with some truly amazing shots.

As for Jurassic Coast kit, it's going to be pretty much the same as most other landscape oriented trips, but as a minimum I'd recommend:

• A super-wide lens. The widest I had with me was 24mm, and I wish I had taken wider. Something like a 17-40mm would be ideal.
• A sturdy tripod; a must for longer exposures to blur the wash of the sea, or for HDR's. I emphasize sturdy as it can quite often get windy on the coast!
• A circular polarizer; useful for removing glare from the water surface.
• A varied set of graduated ND filters.

As with any costal trip, a pair of waterproof wellies are also incredibly useful for getting close and shooting from the wash on the shoreline - I'm always trying to get a new perspective! I also packed a strong B&W ND110, 10-stop ND filter which I experimented with at most locations, producing fantastic results from some multiple-minute long exposures. It's not a cheap filter, and is by no-means a must, but it's a great filter and nice to have.

I hope this might inspire some of you to visit the Jurassic Coast - you'll be glad you did!

Adrian