Unreserved passion for Dorset
Unreserved passion for Dorset
Published in June ’18
Martin Dolan did something pretty rare for a photographer recently: he deleted the majority of the photos on his website. He did so as he wasn’t happy with the quality of the shots he’d been taking.
The reason he was unhappy was that he had become embroiled in the daily taking and posting of pictures on social media; he had, he says, become addicted to the daily outpourings of praise which other social media users would pour on his pictures of Dorset. ‘It’s only been a few years since I picked up a camera, but recently there’s been a change to how I take my pictures. When I started out I was interested in an instant impact, using effects like HDR (high dynamic range). If you’re just starting out in this day and age, you’re surrounded by software that wants you to do all kinds of stuff to manipulate the image. Over the last few years I’ve tried to get to the point where the image is made in camera with as little post-picture tweaking as possible; that’s probably the biggest change to my landscape approach.’
He’s also dragged himself away from what he calls the photographic potboilers of the county: ‘It’s amazing how many people ignore the beauty of North Dorset and West Dorset or any places that are away from Purbeck and Jurassic coast. In some ways, seaside shots are easy. There’s an obvious composition at the water’s edge with sea and sky, whereas you really have to work for your images when you’re going into woodland and using a telephoto lens.
‘I don’t often follow people on social media but I do follow a blog from a man called Thomas Eaton and his view is that you have to live with an image for a few months to decide whether it’s any good or not.’
What is clear is that Martin’s appreciation of the whole of the county and his determination to slow down and create his pictures with the camera, not the computer, reflects the true beauty of Dorset, not just a false, high-octane version of it.
www.martindolan.co.uk
Compton Abbas shot from Spread Eagle Hill. Martin had been watching the magical light roll across the landscape as it filtered its way through the clouds one afternoon.
An early morning trip to Corfe ended up in a foggy whiteout. After Martin climbed Kingston Ridge a fog bow, caused by the sunlight behind hitting the bank of fog appeared. This tree was close enough to shoot before the fogbow disappeared.
Ashmore was bathed in gorgeous colour after the sun had set one evening with the village pond reflecting the drama in the sky beautifully
White Mill Bridge in Sturminster Marshall is a stunning piece of architecture. In the summer Martin waded into the cool river then waited an hour or so until the sun was low enough to illuminate the arches of the bridge and cropped vertically in camera for a different perspective on a popular subject.
Melbury Down has some wonderful topography, another example of the rolling hills the north of the county does so well, only matched by West Dorset. You can rarely see another soul around these parts which makes photography an absolute joy. The way the light interacts with the interweaving hills is something Martin enjoys observing all year round.
Evening at Moor Crichel nestled in the heart of Cranborne Chase. The majority of images taken of this beautiful and symmetrical avenue, with its delightful rows of beech trees, are taken from the middle of the road. The light on offer one evening begged for a different perspective and a long lens helped to compress the scene.
Hambledon Hill was a key settlement of the Iron Age Durotriges tribe. A steep climb to the top of this outstanding part of Dorset offers the most amazing views over the Blackmore Vale and beyond. The contours of the fort catch the light in the most wonderful of ways. Cloud inversions here in Autumn are breathtaking.
After shooting everything with a wide angle lens, Martin wanted to discover the joy of long lens photography. Okeford Hill on an atmospheric Autumn morning was a high enough vantage point to observe the sleeping villages below under a blanket of mist and pick out compositions as they appeared. As Martin put it: ‘A memorable morning and another classic location in North Dorset offering long lens opportunities aplenty.’
