Photo Walk: Dawlish Warren

From funfair to dune to nature reserve: a three-hour walk along the western shore of the Exe estuary, taking in a surprising range of subjects along the way.

Meet at Dawlish Warren Railway Station.

Duration: Approximately 3 hours

Distance: 3 miles

Subjects: street photography, beach, funfair, sand dunes, coast, wildlife

The route
Start at the amusement park; a great backdrop for street-style imagery, colour and texture.
Head south along the beach, subjects shifting gradually from the built environment to open sand and sea.

Walk out to the tip of the Warren spit; beach, back-of-beach and dunes offer varied light and compositions.

Return via the north path through Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve; quieter, greener, with wildlife opportunities.

The route is level, and starts on well made paths, but gradually transitions to the beach and sand dunes on sandy paths which are more uneven.

Who is this for?

Any level of experience from beginner to pro is welcome on this trip. If you need help with some tips and techniques, your guides can assist you. If you just want to come for an enjoyable walk with fellow photographers we can show you the way. You don’t need to have a fancy camera, if you want to try and improve how you create images with your smartphone that’s fine.

Film photographers are very welcome, and there will be an opportunity for a subsequent darkroom session with Matt to develop your images from this walk.

Film photographers

A darkroom session is available to book separately, so you can develop the images from today's walk. Look out for the add-on when you book.

The separate darkroom session will focus on making black and white silver gelatin prints from images created by the event participants. Each person will be guided through the process of how to go from test strip to final print. The intention being to make a panoramic view of the Exe Estuary. Participants shooting film should arrive at the darkroom with their developed negatives.

Your guides

Daniel Ridgeway @idridge

Daniel founded Photo Club Devon to bring people together through photography, creating opportunities to learn, connect and explore. After winning the Ricoh GR Photo Festival, he became a Ricoh brand ambassador and speaker, and now works professionally as a photographer for Exeter City Community Trust.

Matt Duriez @matthewduriezphotography

Matt is a portrait photographer from Exmouth, with a focus on projects that explore such subjects as the male connection with vulnerability. He seeks to utilise analogue processes where possible with a keen interest in film photography and making prints in a traditional darkroom. He runs workshops locally to help people access a more analogue workflow.

Tom Dauben @tomdauben

Tom is an environmental documentary photographer from West Devon, with a focus on creating authentic images with minimal post processing. In 2024 he released his first book, Dartmoor Unedited, featuring images created entirely in-camera. He runs workshops in the National Park to help people improve their images of the natural world, and is a proud member of Nature First, the alliance for responsible nature photography.