Landscape Photography and Stories from the Cornish Coast
Trevose Head on the north Cornish coast is one of my favourite coastal locations to photograph. 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. With the thrift season ending soon, I was eager to get out and to photograph some of it before it all disappeared.
Exploring Trevose Head and the North Coast
Sometimes the best time to explore a new location is when you know the weather isn’t going to be great for landscape photography. With a weather forecast of clear blue skies, I set off to have a wander along the coast to look for thrift. I soon came across an area where the thrift was looking pink and plentiful. 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.
The technical details for the shots taken during this exploration are as follows:
| Image Title | Camera Gear | Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Thrift #1 | Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 | 15mm, f/13, 5 seconds, ISO 64 |
| Spring Thrift #2 | Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 | 15mm, f/13, 10 seconds, ISO 64 |
| Spring Thrift #3 | Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 | 14mm, f/13, 25 seconds, ISO 64 |
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.
Best Cornwall Landscape Photography Highlights
While the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted businesses across Cornwall, local photographer Kieran Brimson looks back over this last year, and has put together his favourite sunrises, sunsets and astrophotography, showcasing some of the incredible landscapes Cornwall has to offer. While some of these locations will be familiar tourism spots, he has been able to capture them in moments of quiet solitude.
St Michael’s Mount Flaming Sky
As the sun rose, a band of white light broke through the clouds and the sky was filled with a vivid flaming orange and spectrum of reds. The Mount’s turrets protrude up into the air, prominent against the colourful sky as the sun is just moments from peaking over the hillside.
Nanjizal Glow
Nanjizal is a hidden natural beauty spot that only locals tend to know about, heading in the direction of Land’s End. During the winter months, the sun sets in such a way that a magnificent glow of light shines through the hole in the rocks. Using a neutral density filter to reduce the exposure time, I was able to smooth the frothing tidal waters into a magical mist that reflected the piercing golden column of light passing into the cave.
Rinsey Starry Sky
A lot of my Cornish landscape photography is about capturing familiar sights and landmarks under different natural conditions. For Rinsey Starry Sky, I headed out on a beautiful clear night to capture the mine building underneath the Milky Way. I positioned myself uphill from the mine to get an elevated angle of the sky in which the rift of the Milky Way would fall either side of the building’s tall chimney tower.
Porthcurno Rainbow
As is so typical of the Cornish climate, after what had been a peaceful morning there was a sudden flurry of weather changes. A stunning rainbow appeared for just a few minutes, descending into the heart of the coastline. Using a long exposure filter, I was able to highlight the moving tidal currents of the waters into a unique misty effect.
St Ives Rippled Sands
On this morning, I ventured out into the shallow waters of low tide at Porthminster Beach to photograph the view of St Ives. In the clear, calm waters I could see the rippled sands from the overnight tidal currents. Using one of my camera filters, I was able to bring further clarity to the water, to really draw out the shape of the curving ripples which naturally moves the eye up the scene and onto the town.