Photographer Made to Wait Four Years for Perfect Sunburst Shot
A photographer was made to wait for four years to capture a perfect sunburst shot of an iconic landmark.
The Sun only lines up behind Durdle Door on the southern coast of the United Kingdom for two to three weeks each year and photographer Jack Lodge has been left disappointed many times before.
“I’ve tried in the past and it’s just not happened,” Lodge tells PetaPixel. “I’ve got a little bit of a sunstar and it’s not been great, even with clear skies. And then other times you drive for an hour, walk for an hour, and it’s like, really? The forecast said it was clear. So it’s a constant battle.”
But last week it all came together for Lodge as he pulled off a glorious photo of Durdle Door — a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England.
To make it more difficult, the Sun only lines up behind Durdle Door for less than five minutes each day meaning Lodge had to wake up at 05:00 to get there in time, dragging all of his gear to the secluded location.
Lodge uses a Canon R5 for its high megapixel count because he does “really big prints and loads of cropping.” He used an RF 15-35mm f/2.8 with the setup placed on a tripod which is a must because the waves were swashing around his legs.
“It was taken at 10 past eight in the morning and it was shot at 1/20th of a second, at f/22, ISO 100,” Lodge adds.
The slow shutter speed means the waves have a touch of motion blur adding to the beauty of the picture.
Lodge describes the reaction as “nuts” and “amazing.” The photos received tens of thousands of likes on his Instagram page and although the sunstar photo is a winner, the photographer prefers the picture he got of a soft ethereal-like glow coming through Durdle Door.
“I think it’s harder to get than the one with the star,” says Lodge. “That’s my personal favorite because it’s so cold and the warm light just created this mist.
“The light on the sand as well, it makes it look like glass. So yeah, that one was more special for me, but they’re both awesome; it’s been cool to see everyone’s reactions to both.”
Lodge is a professional landscape photographer who operates photography courses. More of his work can be found on his Instagram, Facebook, and website.
Image credits: Photographs by Jack Lodge
