Jupiter

I'd been hoping to photograph Beachy Head Lighthouse for months, but the conditions needed to be just right. When I saw the forecast showing clear skies with high-level cloud cover, I knew this could be the evening. I drove out to the Seven Sisters cliffs in East Sussex, arriving just as the sun began its descent toward the horizon.

The location is spectacular—standing on the chalk cliffs of the South Downs National Park, looking down at the iconic red and white striped lighthouse perched at the base of Beachy Head. As the sun dropped lower, the sky erupted in streaks of orange and purple, creating exactly the kind of dramatic backdrop I'd envisioned. The lighthouse stood in perfect silhouette, that distinctive beacon that's guided ships past these treacherous cliffs since 1902.

What strikes me about this image is the contrast—the fiery intensity of the sunset sky against the tranquil sea below, the solid permanence of the lighthouse against the constantly changing light. Beachy Head is one of the UK's most photographed coastal locations, and standing there that evening, watching the light transform the scene minute by minute, I understood exactly why.

When you look at this photograph, I want you to feel that sense of awe that comes from witnessing nature's power and beauty from one of England's most dramatic coastal viewpoints. It's a scene that captures both the romance and the raw magnificence of the Sussex coastline.