Photographing The Daymark - Devon's Coastal Beacon, Landmark and Icon
In this video I head to the south Devon coast on a beautiful summers evening to photograph one of the South West Coast Path's best known landmarks, The Daymark.
Back to the Coast (Nearly)
I’ve been exploring and photographing Dartmoor extensively over the last few years and I loved every minute of it. Well, nearly every minute of it! However, there is so much more to discover in the south west of the UK. The South West Coast Path is perhaps the most obvious choice, and with over 630 miles of coastline to explore, I’d have no shortage of places to go.
So, it’s time for me to branch out and learn more about the South West Coast Path. I have of course photographed some of paths great locations like Trevose Head in Cornwall, but I’ve never spent a significant amount of time exploring what I expect to be a treasure trove of photography locations.
I’m not giving up on Dartmoor, far from it, but I do want to expand my horizons.
To start my South West Coast Path journey, I’m going to revisit a few of the locations I already know, starting with The Daymark, a location I haven’t photographed for some time. So why not join me in my latest video as I explore and photograph The Daymark. And yes, I know it’s not directly on the coast path, but it’s close enough!
Landscape Photographs of The Daymark - South West Coast Path
Daymark Tower #1, Devon, South West Coast Path - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 23mm, f/13, 1/10 sec at ISO 64.
Daymark Tower #2, Devon, South West Coast Path - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 54mm, f/13, 1/60 sec at ISO 400.
Daymark Tower #3, Devon, South West Coast Path - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/13, 1/5 sec at ISO 400, single image crop at 6:17.
Photographing and Exploring the Cornwall's South West Coast
To celebrate my recent birthday, I got together with some friends who also happened to be photographers celebrating birthdays and headed to the Land’s End for a weekend of photography.
A Birthday Weekend Away
I recently had what one might call a "significant" birthday and since a couple of my photography friends had their birthdays within a few weeks of mine, we all decided that we should celebrate being older, more mature, wiser, or something like that. Basically, our birthdays just became an excuse to go away for the weekend with our cameras, drink some wine or beer, and eat cake, pizzas and pasties.
The world was our oyster though so we got a globe out, started spinning it, and randomly stopping it with our finger to see where we might go. Back in the real world though we had to be a lot more practical. We only had a couple of days for photography so we wanted to minimise the amount of driving we would undertake. There was also the consideration of the time of year, and the direction of the rising and setting sun.
To cut a long story short we decided that we would go down to very ends of England and go to the south west tip of Cornwall. It's an area that none of use frequently visit so we knew that we'd all get something from it photographically speaking.
Just a few weeks after booking our accommodation we hit the road and started our drive to the end of the world! Well, the end of England anyway.
Porth Nanven, Cornwall
First stop was the stunning beach at Porth Nanven. It's a location I've only visited twice, once in 2015 and then again in 2017, so I was long overdue a return visit. As soon as I arrived, I was reminded of why I love this place so much. The beach is littered with large boulders embedded in the sand. As the tide comes in the sea laps up around the rocks creating channels in the sand. Finding a composition at first can look a bit daunting, but once you get your eye tuned in, it’s a treasure trove of creative possibilities.
Porth Nanven, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 30mm, f/11, 1 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
It was the middle of day when we arrived but there was plenty of cloud cover to help diffuse the light. I had a wonderful time finding different compositions and opting for black & white when I wanted to focus more on contrast and texture. It was a great way to start our photography holiday!
Botallack Mine, Cornwall
Botallack mine was made famous in the Poldark TV series, but for many photographers it was already iconic. Arriving at Botallack we did the most important thing first and head to the café for coffee and cake! Refuelled we headed down to look upon the crown engine houses which seem to precariously built of the edge of a cliff!
But it's the dramatic location of these buildings that make this such a great scene to photograph. Ideally you want some stormy conditions, so the waves crash against the rocky coastline, but we appear to have turned up on very calm day. However, in the right light, it's still well worth photographing. We had hope the light would continue right up to sunset but a heavy covering a cloud prevented any colour appearing in the sky. That wasn't a reason to leave early though, so we kept shooting right up until it got dark.
Botallack, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 37mm, f/11, 10 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Logan Rock, Cornwall
The heavy cloud we had been experiencing on the first day was replaced by blue skies the following morning. There was a little bit of cloud here and there, but not enough to add interest to the compositions we were making from the viewpoint towards Logan Rock.
I wasn't feeling inspired, so I decided to walk along the coast path to get closer to Logan Rock. This proved to be a positive step as photographing Logan Rock from a different angle brought in what little cloud there was into the frame. The downside was that from this different angle there wouldn't be much in the way of light hitting the land. It did however catch a couple of the rocky peaks on Logan Rok.
Logan Rock, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 35mm, f/11, 10 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Though not the greatest morning of photography, it was a real delight to be on the coast watching the sunrise somewhere new.
Logan Rock, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 4 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Walking and Return to Botallack
To fill the time between sunrise and sunset we decided to go on a long walk to look at some new viewpoints. It was a beautiful day. Not great for photography, but for a walk & talk with friends, it was perfect. We ended up back at Botallack for more coffee and cake, and to take a couple more photos of te crown engine houses..
Botallack, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 39mm, f/11, 2 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Land's End, Cornwall
To end the day there really was only one location we wanted to photograph and that was Land's End. With it's unique geology, high cliffs, and dramatic coastline it can be exciting place to photography. However, the clear skies and calm conditions from earlier that day had continued into the evening. With neither crashing waves or clouds to catch the light from the setting sun, I felt it left the photographs without much punch. As always though, despite the conditions not being what I might have wanted, just being there was a treat. There is something about being on the coast at sunset that can fill your heart with joy! And that's exactly how I felt as it got dark, and we headed home.
Land’s End, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 20mm, f/13, 5 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
I would very much like to spend more time in this area, but it’s a 2.5 hr drive there so it's not exactly a drive you make on a whim to catch sunset. But it has made me appreciate what a spectacular part of the world I live in for photography. So of course I'll be back. Hopefully with friends again. Hopefully to capture even better photographs!
Land’s End, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 5 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Bite-Size Blog Post #36 - Trevose Head
Does anyone get nervous sometimes about processing their photos? Do you get worried that the feeling of joy you had taking the photographs doesn't carry on into the edit? Learn why I'd been putting off editing these images of Trevose Head in this blog post.
If in Doubt, Trust an Old Friend
Living in the south west of England I am spoilt for choice when it comes to locations to capture landscape photographs. I have Dartmoor National Park, Exmoor National Park and 600 miles or so of the South West Coast Path to photograph. There’s a lifetime worth of locations to visit.
So why is it some locations keep calling you back again and again? Even when you already have a fine portfolio of photographs from that location, you still feel the need to return. Is it because you know you can capture good images there? Or because it’s just a beautiful place to be?
There is one such place in Cornwall that falls into that category for me, and that’s Trevose Head. Looking at my free landscape photography locations map, I can see that I’ve written about Trevose Head at least 6 times here on the blog. But why do I keep going back? Is it because I consistently capture photographs that I like at Trevose Head? Or maybe because it’s a dramatic and stunning section of coastline? Whatever the reason, I like it there.
I built up a bit of a back log of blog posts so the photographs you see in this post are a few months old now, but I’ll be honest with you, I can’t remember the real reason I went back to Trevose Head. It might have been that the weather conditions and tide were going to suit Trevose Head, or I was in a bit of a creative rut, and I felt safe going there, or maybe I just drove there subconsciously! I don’t know, and maybe it doesn’t matter, because the evening I took these photographs was special.
Trevose Head Sunset #1, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 0.5 secs at ISO 640, Kase Filters CPL
I could tell just standing there on the cliffs that the conditions were good for photography and that feeling continued as I captured the photographs. On the long drive home, I knew I had captured some photographs that I would be happy with. When I imported them into Lightroom I could see the raw files had promise.
So why has it taken so long to share them? Yes, I had a backlog of blog posts to write, but the main reason I’ve left it this long to write about them is that I was nervous about processing them. What if I found they weren’t that good after all? I wanted to hold onto to magical time at Trevose Head and I didn’t want it to be spoilt by disappointing photographs. Maybe that’s missing the point of enjoying my time there. Perhaps I should just enjoy the memory of that experience.
As it turns out though, I needn’t have worried. I’m very happy with the photographs I captured that evening. So much so, I want to go back. But that’s no bad thing.
Trevose Head Sunset #1, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 6 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL
Boscastle to Bossiney - A Photography Walk Along the Cornish Coast
The north coast of Cornwall is one of the most dramatic stretches of the South West Coast Path. In this blog post I meet up with a friend to see if we can find some new landscape/seascape photography locations on this stretch of stunning coastline.
Photography Is Not Always the Priority
It can be hard as a landscape photographer to not make every walk and outdoor adventure all about taking photographs. The trouble with that approach is that I find myself only going out when there are photographs to capture. I’m therefore not taking enough risks and there is little chance of discovering something new just by going out for a walk.
Last week I met up with a friend (who is also a photographer) and we took a short walk along a stretch of South West Coast Path neither of us had explored before.
Before we met up, we’d both spent lots of time looking at weather forecasts trying to work out where to go, but each forecast told us something different. After much head scratching, we decided we both just needed to get out and be social. Yes, we would take the cameras, but the priority would be getting out for a walk and having a catch up.
We decided to meet in Camelford, not only because it’s an easy place for us to meet but because Peckish Fish and Chips probably does the best fish and chips in Cornwall, if not the south west. All good social meetups should start with some food. No one wants to go on a walk hungry!
Near Boscastle, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 56mm, f/11, 4 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and ND.
Notes - I like the light in this image but a 4 second exposure has left the white water trails a little messy.
With our bellies full we moved onto Boscastle and started our walk towards Bossiney. The weather was difficult to judge. Sometimes we felt too warm, then it would rain, then we would see blue sky, then it would overcast. It was four seasons in one day. Very Cornwall! But the one constant was the stunning views you get as you walk the high cliffs along that stretch of the South West Coast Path.
Near Boscastle, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 56mm, f/11, 30 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and ND.
Notes - The longer exposure works more effectively here, but the light has gone and the far headland is no longer visible.
As we meandered along the path we’d stop and take in the view. Sometimes we’d agree that while the view was stunning, it would be difficult to make a visually appealing image. Not all nice viewpoints make for good compositions! If a viewpoint did look like it might have potential, we got the cameras out and take some test shots. Seeing a viewpoint through the viewfinder can make a huge difference on your assessment on the location’s potential.
Three hours later we’d reached Bossiney, tired, refreshed, inspired and still with full bellies thanks to some enroute consumption of doughnuts and chocolate cookies!
Near Boscastle, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 57mm, f/11, 164 secs at ISO 400, Kase Filters CPL and ND.
Notes - I like this composition but the scene lacks any side light. I’ll just have to come back!
I only released the shutter on my camera four times on that walk, but it was one of the rewarding photo walks I’d been out on. Just giving myself the time and space to relax has paid dividends. I feel mentally refreshed, and I have a couple of new viewpoints that I must go back and photograph.
But probably the best thing, as always, watching catching up with a friend, eating chips and going for a long walk. Happy days.
A Return to Coastal Photography in Cornwall
After a long break, I return to Cornwall for some seascape photography. It’s also an excellent opportunity to catch up with a mate.
A Day Out in Cornwall
Looking through my Lightroom catalogue I was surprised to see that I hadn’t been to Cornwall or done any seascape photography since June. As part of my long-term photography project, I have been focusing my efforts on capturing images of Dartmoor. While there’s no doubt that this focus has paid dividends for my project, it has left me missing the coast.
There is also the cost of driving to Cornwall to consider. With fuel being so expensive it can be hard to justify burning through £25 of fuel on the off chance you might capture something new, unique, or special. However, there is one reason I will always head to Cornwall no matter what the cost of fuel is and that is to spend the day with my mate (who is also a photographer).
We hadn’t seen each other since my last trip in June and despite trying to organise something we found it impossible to align our availability and a half-decent weather forecast. Finally, when things did align, we just decided that we would make it a proper day out. Dawn to dusk.
Padstow Lifeboat Station
The first stop on our day out was Padstow Lifeboat Station near Trevose Head. When we arrived, we could sense the conditions might be favourable for us. Our first viewpoint was what you might call the classic viewpoint, close, and looking down on the lifeboat station. It’s a photograph we’ve both taken before and given that access is even more restricted these days, we decided to head along the coast to see if we could find a different angle.
Padstow Lifeboat Station at Trevose #1, Cornwall, South West Coast Path - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/11, 30 sec at ISO 64.
As we approached our alternative viewpoint the warm light from the rising sun started to illuminate the scene. While the sky lacked some contrast in the clouds, the rest of the view was a joy to shoot. I spent a bit of time wandering from one rocky outcrop to another and adjusting my focal length trying to decide whether to include the beach or not.
Padstow Lifeboat Station at Trevose #2, Cornwall, South West Coast Path - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 10 sec at ISO 64.
Padstow Lifeboat Station at Trevose #3, Cornwall, South West Coast Path - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 10 sec at ISO 64.
Padstow Lifeboat Station at Trevose #4, Cornwall, South West Coast Path - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 25mm, f/13, 3 sec at ISO 64.
Padstow Lifeboat Station at Trevose #5, Cornwall, South West Coast Path - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/13, 13 sec at ISO 64.
In the end, I think both the wider and slightly tighter shots work well. I think we were both happy with our efforts. However, not happy enough that we didn’t think we ought to shoot those viewpoints again!
Snacks, Chat and Walking
I’ve never been much for capturing landscape photographs during the day unless the conditions are particularly special. Unfortunately for us, the conditions were less than special. So, what do you do then to fill the time until sunset? Easy! Eat, chat, and walk.
Things started with a cooked breakfast and coffee. This was followed by a bit of a walk. As photographers though, our walk still had a purpose. We used this valuable time to scope out new locations and discuss ideas for compositions. It wasn’t all photography chat though. We also covered other life critical issues such as the various Star Wars TV series and the new GoT show. Much was said on those two items.
It was then time for a cake stop, another walk, lunch somewhere, an ice cream, and another walk looking for new locations and viewpoints. Despite not taking any photos since sunrise, it was a most enjoyable way to spend the day.
Holywell Bay
The weather forecast for sunrise is what I might have called, inconclusive. It was hard to tell what was going to happen when comparing what we could see in the sky, and what the forecast was telling us. We ultimately decided to go to Holywell Bay. While my mate has shot this location many times, this was my first visit.
Arriving at Holywell Bay we wandered up and down the beach for a while, looking for compositions. Because of the settled conditions, the outgoing tide hadn’t created as many ripples and textures in the sand as we might have liked, but we did eventually find a composition we thought might work.
It had some of the elements we were looking for. Rippled sand, a pool of water, and a view directly out to Gull Rocks. There was even a chance that the sun might set between the two islands that make up Gull Rocks.
The only problem with shooting Cornwall’s beaches in peak season is that they are busy. Naturally, a calm, somewhat sunny evening means that the beaches can be full of people, even near sunset. There’s not a lot you can do about that, and people wandering in front of your beautifully crafted composition is just part of sharing the beach. I don’t get upset about it I just get the clone tool out!
Holywell Bay #1, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 27mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Holywell Bay #2, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 27mm, f/13, 3 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
With our day coming to an end, we looked back and concluded it was a successful day out. Though we’d captured some photographs, our primary goal, the highlight of day was catching up with a mate. Well, almost the highlight. We did get some chips on the way home from our favourite chippy. After all, we’d barely eaten anything all day!
Is My Photography Impacting the Environment?
Access to Daymark Tower has been closed off because of the environmental impact from visitors. In my latest video, I look at the reasons why, consider the impact my photography has on the environment, and capture some landscape photographs of this iconic Devon location along the South West Coast Path.
Daymark Tower - Closed to Visitors
It was a few months ago that people started to mention to me that one of my favourite locations along the South West Coast Path, Daymark Tower, was closed to the public. As I got more information it appeared that the short path that leads from the track to the tower had been locked shut by the farmer due to the damage that was being done to his crops by visitors. This didn’t exactly come as a surprise to me.
As I know the location well, I knew that it was still possible to get good shots of the tower from the track side of the fence. Experience has also taught me that the crops start to look their best (photographically speaking) around June and July, so I thought it was time to visit the tower to take some photographs and look at the access restrictions myself.
Here’s how I got on and what I saw.
While it’s easy for me to criticise other people, making this video has made me think about the impact my photography has on the environment. Issues such are carbon emissions are easy to identify, but what I need to start thinking about is the damage my feet (including those on my tripod) are doing to the ground around me. Over the years I’m sure I’ve been careless so the best thing I can do is to learn from those mistakes and improve my behaviours.
I hope by reading this and by watching the video that a few of you will also consider how you impact your local environment when you are taking photographs. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Daymark Tower Photographs
Sharing the Joy of Printing
What's the best way to show someone the benefits of printing their landscape photographs? Simple. Take your Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300 and some Fotospeed papers to Boscastle in Cornwall, meet a friend, take some photos, and then print them from your car!
From Discovery to Sharing
I first started printing my landscape photographs back in 2017. Since discovering the joy of printing, I have been sharing my passion for printing photographs at home on my blog, YouTube channel, and by talking about it at The Photography Show. I’ve even got this handy “playlist” of blog posts of my printing-related content here.
Over the years, I have been rather evangelical about printing but sometimes the only way to really get the message across is with a practical demonstration. Even better than that, why not take a printer on location with you, capture some photographs, and then print them! What could be more satisfying and exciting than capturing a photograph and then making a print all before breakfast?
This is exactly what I do in the video below. I’m joined by friend and fellow photographer Chris Sale as we both attempt to battle the thick fog of Boscastle harbour to capture a photograph that we can take back to the car and print.
<insert video>
I hope you enjoyed this video. Chris might not be rushing out to buy his own printer, but he certainly appreciated the quality of the print and the experience of making one. It was a real pleasure being able to share my passion for printing in such a beautiful location and with such a good mate. It’s mornings like that one that makes photography such a rewarding thing to do.
Boscastle Coastline Photographs
Fujifilm GFX100s - The Ultimate Landscape Photography Camera
Is the Fujifilm GFX100S the ULTIMATE camera for landscape photography? In this video, I test and review this medium format 100MP camera the only way I know how, and that's by heading out into the real world and taking landscape photographs.
A Rare Opportunity
I try not to talk about gear too much on blog and YouTube channel. When I do, I try and make the gear chat part of a landscape photography adventure. I’m not much for sitting in my office making videos about camera specs and shooting test charts.
The gear that I do talk about, whether it’s cameras, lenses or even outdoor clothing, is normally something I already own. I think I’ve only ever talked about an item of gear that I didn’t own once. It was at least for a camera that I had a genuine interest in and not for a random item that some company wanted me to make a video about.
So, when there was an opportunity to spend the weekend with the Fujifilm GFX100S, I jumped at the chance. How could I miss the chance to use this 102 megapixel, digital medium format camera? I would of course have to put it to good use and head out into the real world to capture landscape photographs with it.
A Fujifilm GFX100s Review for Landscape Photographers
As a YouTube content creator, I was also not going to miss the opportunity to make a video of my experience with this camera. Despite the price being out of reach for most landscape photographers, like me, I expect many of you have an interest in this camera.
The video I have made of my experience with the camera could be considered a review, but it’s very much a personal review. What I mean by that is that I’m reviewing it from the perspective of if I would buy the camera. So, I don’t really care about fast autofocus, stabilisation, frames per second, etc. I want to know if I would buy this camera as my next landscape photography camera, or at the very least, aspire to own it.
Though I’m not trying to convince you to buy the camera, I do hope you will enjoy this personal video review of the Fujifilm GFX100S. As with the other gear related videos I make, the video is also dedicated to the experience of creating landscape photographs as much as it is about the camera.
I hope you enjoy both the gear elements and the landscape photography elements of this video, but I accept no responsibility for a reduction in your bank balance should you buy a Fujifilm GFX100S!
Fujifilm GFX100S Landscape Photography Gallery
Here are all the photographs I captured in the video. Enjoy.
Bite-Size Blog Post #16 - Thurlestone
After some encourage from a friend, I finally make a long overdue trip to Thurlestone to capture some long exposure seascapes.
Thurlestone - Finally!
I’ve had the coastline around Thurlestone on my list of places to photograph for a long time. While Thurlestone isn’t particularly far away, like most places in the South Hams it’s a bit of a pain to get to. I’m happy to drive twice as far to some locations in Cornwall, but those narrow, twisty roads in the South Hams always makes the journey seem a little more of an effort.
So, when a friend and fellow photographer asked if I wanted to join him one evening for a spot of seascape photography at Thurlestone, I jumped at the chance! To hell with the twisty roads. Chat and photography would make it all worthwhile.
Thurlestone Sunset #1, South West Coast Path, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200 f/4-6.3 at 36mm, f/8, 30 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and ND.
When we arrived at the beach, I could instantly see the appeal of this location and I could understand why my friend frequented it. Due to the lack of cloud cover and the direction of the light, I had to wait till the sun was nearly set before I started capturing images I was happy with.
Thurlestone Sunset #2, South West Coast Path, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 16mm, f/11, 3 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
I’m not normally that keen on clear skies but the light was producing some lovely tones and pastel shades of colour in the sky. The main element in the compositions is of course the rocky outcrops which offered me plenty of different ways to shoot the scene.
Thurlestone Sunset #3, South West Coast Path, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/8, 15 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and ND.
As is often the case when you visit a location for the first time you spend a lot of time changing composition, changing lenses, swapping out filters and moving to different parts of the beach. It was an exciting evening, but I also remember not being that excited by my photographs when I viewed them on the camera. It wasn’t until I got home, and I processed some of the images I took later in the evening that I realised I had some photographs I was happy with.
Thurlestone Sunset #4, South West Coast Path, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/8, 25 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and ND.
Now that I’ve been to Thurlestone, I will most definitely be making a return.!
A Day Out to Kynance Cove in Cornwall
In the blog this week I explore the area around Kynance Cove.
Deep into Cornwall
During the spring and summer months, you’ll often find me making journeys down the A30 into Cornwall. With the increased number of daylight hours that these seasons provide I can venture further into Cornwall and explore the nooks and crannies of this most beautiful part of the South West Coast Path.
Even with those longer days, getting deep into the south-west corners of Cornwall for landscape photography is still a challenge for me. Well, I say it’s a challenge, but the biggest problem is with me and my willingness to travel that far. It’s a case of risk vs reward. With some locations being 2 to 2.5 hours drive, I have to be very certain that the effort (and cost) or driving there is going to yield worthwhile results. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is rarely that concrete.
A Winter Excursion
Saying all that though, sometimes all you need is a bit of extra encouragement. In this case, it came from a good friend of mine who also happens to be a photographer. He was also looking to do some exploration of the south-west area of Cornwall so when he suggested we head down towards Kynance Cove one day in December I jumped at the chance. Even if the photography turned out to be poor it would be a fantastic opportunity to catch up with a mate.
Dawn
After a long drive in the dark, I met my friend in the Kynance Cove car park. We chatted through our car windows (UK tiering restrictions were in place at the time) and wondered if we had done the right thing coming all this way. It was cold and wintery and neither of us fancied getting out of our nice warm cars.
This reluctance to get out of the car didn’t last long though and soon enough we were walking along the South West Coast path to find the first of our photography viewpoints.
Kynance Cove #1, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 at 29mm, f8, 4 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND.
The views were stunning, but the conditions less so. The wind and rain I can cope with, but flat grey light is always a challenge. That’s not to say you can’t get a photograph in those conditions, but you do have to work that bit harder to make it work. I’m not sure I managed it with that first image.
Kynance Cove #2, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 at 34mm, f11, 1 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL.
I much prefer the result of the second photograph. Though the photograph would benefit from light and some interest in the cloud, the drama of the sea as it crashes around the coastline make for a pleasing image.
With no sign of the weather improving, we continued to explore the area making notes of any viewpoints that we might want to return to that day or at a later date.
Daytime
Landscape photography is demanding work!
After any dawn shoot, there is nothing better than grabbing a cooked breakfast and a cup of coffee and that is exactly what we did when we drove onwards to Lizard. As we ate breakfast, we discussed what we might do next and which other locations we might explore. As this was December, we didn’t have many daylight hours to work with so the more we discussed it the more we decided to keep it simple.
As we were in Lizard it seemed sensible to head to Lizard Point to see what we could see. We had a good walk about the area but couldn’t get inspired so decided to head to one of the cafes and have an oversized piece of cake!
The more we discussed what to do next, the more it became apparent that we should head back to Kynance Cove. The time between 2 pm and sunset would soon fly by and we felt it was best not trying to cram too many locations in and find ourselves in a hurry.
Kynance Cove #3, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 at 31mm, f8, 1.3 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL.
Returning to Kynance Cove around 1;30pm I captured the image above and as it turns out, my favourite of the day. Though shooting in the middle of the day is rarely my favourite time, the combination of light, movement in the seas and the big clouds in the sky make it my favourite photograph of the day. I was glad we had returned to Kynance Cove and things were looking positive for sunset.
Sunset
Sunset was fast approaching when moved further south down the coast to see what else we might photograph. The conditions were more favourable than those we experienced at dawn, and despite some dramatic skies, I did find myself struggling.
Kynance Cove #4, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f13, 4 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND.
I’m relatively pleased with the image above. The side light from the setting sun has added depth to the foreground, and there is an impressive storm cloud in the sky, but for me, the image is lacking something. Perhaps it has too much contrast or there simply isn’t a strong focal point. Maybe it’s an image I need more time with. Not all photographs are instant winners!
Kynance Cove #5, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 at 24mm, f13, 2 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL.
I have similar feelings and reservations about the last of my photographs as well. It’s not a bad photo but I feel it is lacking something that would make it a great photo.
As the sun set, we packed up, walked back to the car park, and discussed the day. For me, it was a difficult day. Sometimes you go out with the camera and you know as soon as you take a photograph that you will be happy with the result. Other times like on this trip, it isn’t until you process a few images that you realise that you managed to capture a couple of good images. That image I captured during the day was the saving image of the day. I was pleasantly surprised by that one.
Overall, though, I had a fantastic day. Exploring Kynance Cove was a joy, but what made the day was spending time with a mate chatting, eating, and drinking. If I hadn’t had the company of a friend I don’t think I would have spent the drive home feeling it had been a good day out. Landscape photography can be a solitary past time, but never underestimate the power of company to turn a challenging day into a fun day.
Start Point - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure from the South West Coast Path
Grab yourself a cup of coffee because it's time for another 5 Minute Photo Adventure! In this episode, I head to one of my favourite South West Coast Path locations, Start Point Lighthouse in south Devon.
The Challenge of Getting There
There’s only one problem with going to photograph Start Point on the south Devon coast and that’s the effort required to get there. It’s not so much the 50-mile driving distance (37 miles as the crow flies), but more with the time it takes to get there. The journey time for me takes around 90 minutes and while I’m no stranger to making such journeys for the benefit of my landscape photography, it’s the roads that make the journey more challenging.
Once I leave the A38 and start driving towards Kingsbridge the quality and width of the roads start to reduce. Nothing to bad (for Devon standards) but after Kingsbridge things get dull. Lots of small villages with low-speed limits and that last five miles just seems to take an age. It’s not so bad when you are shooting sunrise as there is a lot less traffic, but during the day when you can get caught behind a tractor or a broken-down cement truck and it all becomes very boring.
However, all those complaints about the roads all disappear when you park your car and step out to one of the finest views along the South West Coast Path. Once I’m there, breathing in that glorious sea air I couldn’t care less about how long it took me to get there.
Risk vs Reward
With the apparent extra effort it seems to take to get to Start Point, I don’t go there as much as I might like to. Unlike some other coastal locations where I’ll just take a punt, I’m always looking for favourable conditions before I commit to the drive. Even with a good forecast, there is no guarantee of interesting conditions. There is always an element of risk vs reward. This is especially true when the conditions are a bit stormy or unsettled. In terms of capturing photographs, heading out in these types of conditions is risky, but the rewards can be amazing.
Back in December, I decided that I wanted to return to Start Point and capture some photographs looking at the peninsula from the west. I had checked out this viewpoint a couple of times, but the forecast was predicting some unsettled weather and the opportunity to capture this location with setting sun and some big clouds were too tempting to ignore.
Knowing very well that I could spend 3 hours in the car to end up with not a lot to show for it at the end, I packed my camera bag and set off regardless. Here is how I got on.
I hope you enjoyed my 5 Minute Photo Adventure to Start Point. While the conditions weren’t as dramatic as I might have hoped, I still came away with some images that made the trip worthwhile.
Do you have any locations that seem to be “harder” than others to get to? Let me know in the comments below.
Start Point Photographs
As always here are the photographs you saw me capture in the video. Enjoy!
Sunset at Start Point #1, South West Coast Path, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 44mm, f/11, 1.6 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND.
Sunset at Start Point #2, South West Coast Path, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 39mm, f/11, 2 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND.
Sunset at Start Point #3, South West Coast Path, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 44mm, f/11, 13 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL.
Why I'll Never Bore of Dawlish Warren
In this blog post, I share my latest photographs from Dawlish Warren and tell you why I don't think I'll ever get bored of photographing this wonderful south Devon coastal location.
How Many Times?
Searching through this blog I can count more than 15 posts that feature photographs from Dawlish Warren. To be honest this is more than I even thought there were and given that I’d been photographing Dawlish Warren even before I started the blog 4 years ago, I hate to think how many times I’ve been to this beach on the south Devon coast.
I say hate, but there is obviously something special about Dawlish Warren that makes me keep coming back.
Dawlish Warren Sunrise #2, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 19mm, f/11, 1.3 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Every Visit in Unique
The one factor that keeps me coming back is that every visit is unique. Unlike many locations, the seasons don’t have a direct impact on what you photograph there. Apart from what time sunrise is, it doesn’t matter if it’s spring, summer, autumn, or winter at Dawlish Warren. The two factors that make it so variable are the weather and the tides.
The tide levels and times might be predictable, but every high tide resets the beach. Each time the tide comes in and then goes out the sand and the layout of the beach is subtly different. Sand patterns, stones, and debris all come and go. Even how the wet the groynes are results it a vastly different look for incoming tides compared to outgoing tides.
The weather delivers the most variety though. Wind and air pressure can impact the effect of the tides and the strength of the waves. This can change your whole approach to your photography for that visit. Making a choice between a shorter exposure time to capture movement or going for a longer exposure to smooth out the water is a creative decision but how the water is behaving can limit or extend your creative options (depending on how you look at it).
To add into the mix, you’ve got ever-changing cloud coverage. Even on overcast days, there are shots to be had but it is perhaps when the sun just rises above the horizon that excites me the most. It’s a special moment when the reds and oranges of the morning light catch the water and the sides of the groynes.
All these variables mean that I’ve never looked through the viewfinder and thought this looks familiar.
Dawlish Warren Sunrise #4, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 16m, f/16, 1 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
More to Discover
With 15 groynes there is a lot to photograph. I’ve probably only photographed a third of them and given that each groyne can be photographed from two sides, I’ve barely scratched the surface.
But there is more to Dawlish Warren than the groynes. Immediately behind you are the dunes is the nature reserve. The nature reserve is well known for its birds, but I’m far from a wildlife photographer. The dunes, however, are well worth a visit. I’ve only recently started photographing them, but with long grasses, fences, big views, and sweeping dunes they are well worth photographing.
At the top of the beach are the colourful beach huts. Having only photographed these once I must spend a bit more time with them. I’m sure there are some interesting compositions to be made there.
Dawlish Warren Sunrise #1, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 23mm, f/13, 1.6 seconds at ISO 125, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Different Styles
Finally, I’ve discovered that Dawlish Warren beach is a good location for trying something a little different. When I captured the images in this blog post I was with my friend and fellow photographer Neil Burnell and he was capturing images using ICM and multiple exposure techniques. These aren’t techniques that have previously excited me but seeing the results Neil was getting certainly changed my mind.
I gave both techniques a try, and while I found ICM tricky, the effect of multiple exposures has inspired me to give this technique further work. The beach, with its constantly changing view, seems the ideal location to use this technique. While I did capture some multiple exposure photographs on this visit, I don’t think they are worth sharing here. It is a technique I will continue with next time I’m at Dawlish Warren and this will open even more creative opportunities as this varied and much-loved location.
For all these reasons, this is why I will never bore of photographing Dawlish Warren.
Dawlish Warren Sunrise #6, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 28mm, f/10, 0.4 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Not Every Photograph Needs to be a Masterpiece
As a landscape photographer I'd like every shoot to result in a portfolio class image, but this is an unrealistic expectation. Sometimes you just need to take joy in the experience of capturing an image and learning from it.
Embrace the Grey Once Again!
I’ve made several videos on the theme on embracing the grey and because I live in an area where overcast days aren’t exactly unheard of it might not surprise you that I’ve decided to do another one. For me, the key to a successful shoot in grey and overcast conditions is to find the right subject (as I discussed in this video).
There’s been a location near to home that I’ve been wanting to photograph for a while and that’s the Philip Lucette Light near Teignmouth. I found out about this interesting location from an image I saw from Neil Burnell and a video from Lynne Luxon-Jones. It looked like an interesting subject to photograph and I thought it would make for a great #EmbracetheGrey subject.
In the video below you can follow me along as I photograph this location for the very first time. I also show you how I edit the image to give me a specific look and feel, and I of course make a print of the image. I also discuss in the video the importance of just going out to take pictures, and not to worry about every shot being a masterpiece. After all, we should love the art of taking a picture first and foremost.
Enjoy!
Philip Lucette Light #2, Shaldon, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 48mm, f/8, 214 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and 10 Stop ND
Bite-Size Blog Post #3 - Sandymouth
In this Bite-Size Blog post I share with you the photographs I captured after a near disastrous trip to Sandymouth Beach in Cornwall.
Sandymouth Beach, Cornwall
Yes, another week, another Cornish Beach to photograph. However, this trip was almost a disaster! My original plan was to go there and photograph the patterns in the sand that sometimes get left by the receding tide. Like my previous visits that you see here and here.
With high tide at 7:30 pm and sunset around 9:30 pm I thought my timing would be perfect. The only thing I thought I had to worry about would be people walking all over the freshly washed sand. How wrong was I! When I arrived at 7:30 pm I realised just how high the tide gets there. There was no beach to photograph. Even with two hours to go before sunset I still wasn’t sure there would be anything to photograph.
I stuck with it and as 9 pm came around some of trock formations started to make an appearance. I wouldn’t be photographing the sand pools that I was hoping for, but these lines of rock might just save the day. The forecast was for clear skies but just as I was able to access the beach the sun disappeared behind a bank of cloud. I wasn’t going to let that put me off though and I got to work capturing these images.
I have since made a note in my location library for Sandymouth not to visit at high tide!
Sandymouth Rocks #1, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/13, 1.6 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser, ND Grad and ND.
Sandymouth Rocks #2, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/13, 1.3 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser, ND Grad and ND.
Sandymouth Rocks #3, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1.3 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser, ND Grad and ND.
Sandymouth Rocks #4, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/13, 4 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser, ND Grad and ND.
Sandymouth Rocks #5, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 19mm, f/13, 2.5 seconds at ISO 100, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser, ND Grad and ND.
Bite-Size Blog Post #2 - Porthcothan
In this Bite-Size Blog post I share with you the photographs I captured while wandering the beach at Porthcothan in Cornwall.
Porthcothan Beach, Cornwall
Welcome to the 2nd Bite-Size Blog Post and this week I bring you images from Porthcothan Beach in Cornwall. In case you don’t know what my Bite-Size Blog Posts are then why not check out Bite-Size Blog Post #1.
My evening at Porthcothan is what you might describe as typically Cornish! The weather started fairly settled but as sunset approached the clouds rolled in and it got a little stormy. This doesn’t mean the photography stops though! Some of the best pictures can be captured during this time. There was no way I was leaving the beach early so I carried on shooting until it got dark! It’s evenings like that when I appreciate living so close to the coast. While many photographers dislike summer because of how green everything looks. I, on the other hand, look forward to spending more time at the coast.
I hope you enjoy the photographs and they inspire you to the head to the coast.
Porthcothan Beach #1, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/13, 2 sec at ISO 200, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
Porthcothan Beach #2, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 16mm, f/13, 2 sec at ISO 400, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
Porthcothan Beach #3, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 3 sec at ISO 400, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
Porthcothan Beach #4, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 19mm, f/13, 1 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser and ND Grad, single image pano crop (6:17)..
Porthcothan Beach #5, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 2 sec at ISO 200, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
Bite-Size Blog Post #1 - Perranporth
In the first of my Bit Size Blog posts I share with you the images I captured on a trip to the beach at Perranporth in Cornwall.
What are Bite-Size Blog Posts?
Welcome to the first Bite Size Blog Post! So, what are they I hear you ask? Simply put they are very short blog posts. They allow me to share some of the photographs I have recently been capturing without writing lots of associated text. Don’t worry though, this doesn’t mark the end of my normal blog posts.
I’ve decided to do this now as I’m just about to go on my summer holidays and I’d like to have some content to share with you while I’m away or just after I get back. It’s unlikely that I’ll do any serious photography while I’m away and I don’t want to have nothing to share with you the first weeks after I get back.
I hope you won’t mind the odd Bite Size Blog Post and that you will find the picture heavy posts interesting or inspiring. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Perranporth
For the first Bite-Size Blog Post, I would like to share with you some of the photographs I captured from Perranporth Beach in Cornwall. This trip out with the camera marked the start of the recovery of my photographic mojo (something you can read about here). Both my friend and I were initially doubtful that it would prove to be a fruitful evening. How wrong we were! After spending the first hour walking along the beach chatting it suddenly fell silent as we scrambled to make the most of the evening light.
It was a long drive to Perranporth, but I hope you agree that it was worth it.
Perranporth Beach #1, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/3rd sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
Perranporth Beach #2, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/3rd sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
Perranporth Beach #4, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 16mm, f/13, 1 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
Perranporth Beach #4, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
A Trip to Trevose
I learnt a valuable lesson last week when I visited one of my favourite Cornish coastal locations!
Not a Guarantee of Success
I often find myself being lured back to locations where I’ve created photographs that I’m pleased with. This lure is often intensified if I’ve not only captured one great image there but several them. I will hear the voice in my head telling to return to the location rather than go somewhere new because “you always get a good shot there!”. The simple fact is that this isn’t true. While I may well have a higher number of keepers from certain locations, there is always a whole stack of failures from that location as well
Last week I decided that I would make a trip to the north Cornish coast for a spot of seascape photography. I decided to wait until I got to Cornwall before making a final decision on where to go. The weather forecast wasn’t offering up the answers I was looking for so I decided that I would assess the situation when I got there.
Sitting in a park near Camelford, eating some nice chips, I pondered where to go. Looking up at the sky it was looking a bit overcast and grey. I had a few locations I was considering but they would all require some good light to make the most of them. I therefore, decided it was a good time to embrace the grey!
As I wasn’t too far from Trevose Head I decided that would be a good place to go. I’ve photographed that location many times before and I’ve captured some of my favourite images there. Some of those favourite images have been in grey overcast conditions. Given all my previous success at Trevose, I was confident I’d be able to capture something I’d be happy with.
There are a couple of spots worth photographing at Trevose Head. There is, of course the lighthouse itself but if you wander just around the headland it is well worth taking the time to photograph the lifeboat station as well. If you are interested in seeing these locations in a bit more detail then why not check out the 5 Minute Photo Adventure, I filmed there a couple of years ago.
Back to my most recent trip and things weren’t exactly going as I hoped. I started at the lifeboat station and while I managed to find a different composition from my previous visit, the photographs weren’t any better than some of my previous efforts. I can’t decide if I like the vertical or horizontal composition best. Perhaps you can let me know in the comments which one you prefer.
Padstow Lifeboat Station #1, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-70mm f/4 @ 27mm, f/11, 240 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters circular polariser and 10 stop ND.
Padstow Lifeboat Station #2, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-70mm f/4 @ 27mm, f/11, 201 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters circular polariser and 10 stop ND.
I then moved back along the path to my favourite viewpoint featuring the lighthouse. My first instinct was to go for an exposure of several minutes. This would not only smooth out the water, but it was also smooth out the sky. This is an approach I’ve used a few times when dealing with poor weather on the coast, but in this instance, it simply didn’t work (from a creative point of view). There was enough white water to create interesting lines in the composition and the grey sky just went even more flat and grey.
Trevose Head Lighthouse #1, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 @ 19mm, f/11, 316 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters circular polariser and 10 stop ND.
Some of the clouds in the sky that had definition so I decided that I should try and capture the detail of those by going for a much shorter shutter speed. This did work a lot better, but the photograph still didn’t excite me in the way that some of my previous efforts did.
Trevose Head Lighthouse #2, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 @ 22mm, f/11, 1 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters circular polariser.
While I very much enjoyed my visit to Trevose Head, I learnt an important lesson. Previous success at a location does not guarantee future success. While I probably wouldn’t have done any better anywhere else that evening, perhaps I should have used the time to explore somewhere new. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it!
Exploring More of the Cornish Coast
In the blog this week I share with you some of the photographs I took over a couple of evenings exploring the Cornish coast looking for coastal thrift.
Trevose Head
Trevose Head on the north Cornish coast is one of my favourite coastal locations to photograph. I’ve created a couple of videos for my YouTube channel there and published a few blog articles on the location as well. There is something about that location that keeps me coming back.
I doubt I will ever get bored of photographing the view of Trevose Head lighthouse from Stinking Cove, but I know there is so much more to explore to the east and the south. I just needed to find the motivation to do it. It’s all too easy to keep going back to the spots you love and therefore missing something new and exciting.
With the thrift season ending soon I was eager to get out and to photograph some of it before it all disappeared. The obvious choice would be to visit Bedruthan Steps, but I wanted to go somewhere new. Fortunately, coastal thrift is common along the north Cornish Coast so I felt that if I explored the area around Trevose I could get lucky.
Clear Blue Skies
Sometimes the best time to explore a new location is when you know the weather isn’t going to be great for landscape photography. There is always a risk that a new location might not be any good for photography but if the weather isn’t any good any way you will at least not be kicking yourself for not going somewhere else!
With a weather forecast of clear blue skies, I set off to have a wander along the coast to look for thrift. I never get bored of walking along the coast. It felt fantastic to be out and breathing in lots of fresh sea air. I hadn’t even got the camera out and I was having a wonderful time.
Spring Thrift #1, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/13, 5 seconds at ISO 64, Kase circular polariser.
I soon came across an area where the thrift was looking pink and plentiful. I already knew I wasn’t going to get any spectacular shots but that wasn’t the point of the trip. I was looking for new locations where I could photograph the thrift and I could see that in the right light this spot would make an excellent location.
Spring Thrift #2, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/13, 10 seconds at ISO 64, Kase circular polariser.
After taking a few pleasant enough shots I decided that I wasn’t going to get anything better that evening. The sun was disappearing behind some distant sea haze so I packed my bag up and vowed to return as soon as I could.
Unexpected Weather
The amount of time that the thrift looks its best is short, so I knew I needed to return to my new location quickly. Unfortunately, the weather continued to be warm, sunny, and clear blue skies. Eventually, I decided that if I didn’t pick a day soon it would be too late. Despite the forecast for another clear evening I decided to head back and take my chances.
As I set off from home and entered Cornwall all the indications were that it was going to be a clear night. There were hints of some high-level cloud that might catch the light, so I was optimistic about getting some good conditions. As I got closer to the coast though I noticed a blanket of low-level cloud coming in. By the time I got to my location, it was the opposite of clear blue skies. It was grey and misty!
Spring Thrift #3, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 25 seconds at ISO 64, Kase circular polariser.
Though I couldn’t find anything other than a cloudless sky forecast there I was surrounded by a blanket of sea mist. Well, I wasn’t going to let the conditions put me off. While I knew I wasn’t going to get any photographs better than my previous visit, I could at least explore some different compositions and still make it a valuable trip.
Maybe Next Year
I consider both my trips a good use of time despite the photographs being nothing special. Through exploring these locations and taking some test compositions I can visualise how the light and tide could be used to create some strong coastal images. The only thing is that with the thrift now being passed its best I will have to wait to next spring to turn my vision into reality. I can’t wait!
Exploring More of Start Point
I'm no stranger to Start Point but I thought it was about time to explore the area to see if I could find some new compositions.
Discovering More
I'm spoilt for choice when it comes to locations on the south Devon coast to watch and photograph the sunrise. One of my favourites is Start Point and I've captured numerous photographs from this distinctive coastal location. While the photographs I've captured feature a variety of different weather conditions, most of them all have one thing in common. They've all be taken from roughly the same spot.
The view that I normally capture at Start Point. Read the blog post for this image here.
The spot I like is high up on the peninsula looking down towards the lighthouse and out to sea. This is a great view, but I've always believed that there are other compositions to be found. I did make one brief trip further south-west along the coast one evening and I really liked the side-on view of the peninsula and the lighthouse. I've been meaning to go back for some time.
I would go to Start Point more often but it is a bit of a trek to get there. As the crow flies it's not far but by car, it's about an 80-minute drive from home and not always on the greatest of roads. As part of my personal commitment to do more exploring in 2020, I decided that I would make the effort to not only explore the views further down the coast but to also check out Mattiscombe Sands (which is only a short walk from Start Point).
At this time of year, the sunrise time isn't too late in the morning but also not too early that you need to get up at 3 am. With the weather conditions looking OK I decided that it was time to head back to Start Point. I contacted with my friend and super talented photographer Andy Campbell who was more than happy to join me on my latest adventure.
Old Location, New Views
Arriving at Start Point on the 21st of February, I was tempted to head straight to my favourite viewpoint and bag a safety shot but I managed to pull myself away and move further down the coast. I soon found a viewpoint I liked and started taking some photographs. The view gave me a side-on look at the peninsula and lighthouse and it looked dramatic. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photographs to share with you from that viewpoint as the light was pretty dull and none of the resulting images processed particularly well. It is a viewpoint I will be back to though so expect to see an image from there soon!
I then took a walk a little further down the coast again and though it is a similar view to the previous one I just described, this view has the addition of some jaggy foreground rocks which I like. I am happy to share a couple of those photographs but for me, that viewpoint will come alive as a sunset location when the light hits that peninsula and the rocks. I will be coming back to photograph that spot again as well.
Start Point Sunrise #1, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-70mm f/4 S at 36mm, f/13, 0.6 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
With my recce mission of Start Point complete, me and Andy took a walk along to Mattiscombe Sands. The sunrise had been long gone by then so we weren't going to be taking any photos but from what we could see there is a lot of potential at that location given the right tide. Another location marked for a future visit!
Start Point Sunrise #2, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-70mm f/4 S at 28mm, f/13, 0.8 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Though my visit to Start Point was a short one it was a successful one. I wasn't expecting to get great images that morning, but I did want to check out some new viewpoints of Start Point and Mattiscombe Sands for future visits. So, in that sense, it was time well spent. Plus, I got to catch up with my friend Andi. Even when the conditions aren't great, if you've got a friend along with you it can still be a lot of fun.
I'll be heading back to Start Point again as soon as I can so stay tuned to my blog for more photos, blog posts and even a video!
Are there any locations you are planning to photograph this year that you haven't before? Let me know what is on your hit list in the comments below.
Remembering Why I Love Photography - Dawlish Warren
Grab yourself a cup of coffee because it's time for another 5 Minute Photo Adventure! In this episode, I head to Dawlish Warren where I reminded that it's always worth hanging on for just another 5 minutes. Even after all these years, landscape photography can still surprise and delight me.
Just Another 5 Minutes
Over the years I have produced fifteen 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos, but I’ve never made one from Dawlish Warren. This is a bit odd as it is the location, I photograph the most every year. You’ll find many blog posts on this website that feature Dawlish Warren, and it has been the location for many videos. However, I don’t think it’s ever been the primary feature of a video and it’s never featured in its own 5 Minute Photo Adventure.
A few weeks ago (14th March to be precise), I had a little spare time and after checking the weather forecast, I thought that a dawn shoot from Dawlish Warren might yield some nice results. This would also be the perfect opportunity to feature Dawlish Warren in a 5 Minute Photo Adventure.
I’m not going to write too much here about my time at Dawlish Warren because I’ll only be repeating what is in the video. The one thing I will say is that it pays to be patient. The conditions at the point of sunrise weren’t great and I wasn’t expecting to get any nice light. While I was enjoying my time on the beach, I was ready to call it a day on the photography.
Experience has taught me though that it is sometimes worth holding on a little longer past sunrise/sunset and that’s exactly what I did. Once the sun broke over the lower cloud I got some glorious light and I captured some of my favourite ever images from Dawlish Warren. Sure, a little more cloud in the higher reaches of the sky would have made the photos even better, but I cannot fault the experience of being there and having the opportunity to capture those images.
I really hope you enjoy my latest 5 Minute Photo Adventure from Dawlish Warren and if you scroll down a little further you’ll be able to see the images from the video in a bit more detail. Let me know which image is your favourite in the comments below.
The Photographs
Dawlish Warren Sunrise #1, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30m f/4 at 15mm, f/13, 5 secs at ISO 64, Kase K9 CPL.
Dawlish Warren Sunrise #2, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30m f/4 at 19mm, f/13, 10 secs at ISO 64, Kase K9 CPL.
Dawlish Warren Sunrise #3, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30m f/4 at 25mm, f/13, 8 secs at ISO 64, Kase K9 CPL.
Dawlish Warren Sunrise #1, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30m f/4 at 20mm, f/13, 0.4 secs at ISO 64, Kase K9 CPL.