Quick Shot: Black and White Cliffs of Dover

We have been in the United Kingdom for just over a month, but I have been so busy moving and getting settled that I haven't taken much time to go on road trips and photograph this beautiful country.

This weekend we set our sights on one of the most famous attractions in England - the White Cliffs of Dover. The cliffs are chalk based, which gives them their brilliant white color, and Dover is the closest crossing point between England and France. In fact, we could see the coast of France in the distance and our cell phones switched to a French carrier! 

Over the course of several hours we hiked (and picnicked!) around the cliffs to capture their beauty. I was aided by some changing weather too - it rained twice separated by bouts of intense sunshine. I was constantly taking my coat on and off to cope with the rapidly changing climate, which was partially due to strong gusty winds along the coast.

I knew that I wanted to capture several images during the day - the first was a black and white photograph that demonstrated the contrast between the brilliantly white cliffs and the surrounding landscape. Other photo projects, which I'll feature in future Quick Shots, included creating a 10 image panorama.... stay tuned!

This was shot using my Nikon D800 + Nikon 14-24mm wide angle lens. Black and white conversion done using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2. 

The White (and black) Cliffs of Dover.... Look closely to see one of the rainstorms along the horizon!!