When to photograph the sunrise through the keyhole at Durdle Door

I had the pleasure of watching the sunrise at Durdle Door this morning. I've been meaning to make the trip down to the Jurassic coast for some time, I was especially aiming for the few weeks around the winter solstice when the sun rises directly behind the door and shines it's first rays of light 'through the keyhole'.

The best time to photograph sunrise at Durdle Door is 2 weeks either side of the winter solstice (December 21st). Visit on a clear morning from the 7th December until the 4th of January.

It was an early start for me to get down there in time for the sunrise. The weather forecast wasn’t looking perfect with patches of cloud and I nearly didn't bother going when I found I had misplaced my tripod. I'm glad I made the effort though and it was well worth it. The sun cleared the low lying bank of clouds on the horizon and peeped through the door for about 15 minutes.

There were about 30 other photographers on the beach all trying to get the same shot, which made it a bit crowded, but everyone was respectful of each other. I'll definitely be back next year to try and improve on my shot of this.

If you're looking for a guide on how to get this shot, I'd recommend reading this blog.