Photographing North Cornwall
OUTDOOR PHOTOGAPHY Issue. 290
Forged by molten quartz and shaped by the relentless surge of the Atlantic Ocean, North Cornwall's uniquely varied coastline offers drama and tranquility in equal measures. Seascape specialist Chris Simmons explores three familiar and three lesser known locations.
North Cornwall boasts a magnificent array of rugged cliffs, remote coves and signature golden beaches. Away from the well-trodden paths to Watergate Bay, Crackington Haven and Trebarwith Strand, there are a host of less exposed locations. And this means that, at any time of year, if you venture a short distance off the beaten track, you can find superb vantage points way off the regular photographer's radar. Here the first three locations I have featured are lesser-known spots, while the following three are more popular, yet still afford the freedom to do you own thing!
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Millions of years ago, the same seismic eruption that created Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor also fractured the peninsular's rock strata leading down from Bodmin to Land's End. Superheated molten quartz seared through the fissures, melting and galvanising precious elements and metals into the seams that miners have worked for millennia. This, together with the mighty power of raging Atlantic tempests, has forged the impressive coastline.
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Today the mining scars are fading, but the quartz veins and high mica content - which makes the slate rocks shine - are still here to create engaging compositional structure. Add some big wave action, fiery sunrises and sunsets and glorious Atlantic atmospherics and it's easy to see why Cornwall's draw is so strong.
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Where to shoot...
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Crantock Bay
Tucked away between the tourist hotspots of Perranporth and Newquay lies a lesser known stretch of coast. Here you will find Holywell Bay, the Kelseys, Polly Joke Cove and Crantock Bay. Until the BBC's Coast programme voted it Best Beach in Britain in 2014, and The Sunday Times Travel Supplement followed suit in 2015, Crantock had remained the destination of a knowing few. Now, at the height of the holiday season, it's busy, but at dawn and dusk you can still find a special place just for you.
There are a host of shooting aspects, from the rocky ledges of West Pentire and East Pentire Headlands that line the bay, to the towering dunes and rippled sands of the beach itself. Just take care if venturing close to the River Gannel's meander at low tide, as the sand can be soft in places. During spring tides, the Gannel Estuary will flood and this presents a lovely shoot when the high tide coincides with either end of the day.
Constantine Bay
While just a few miles from Padstow, Constantine Bay is a far cry from its bustling streets and ice cream parlours. Here, at the end of winding country lanes, you find a lustrous stretch of shoreline that offers a host of shooting aspects at all times of the tide, day and year. From spreading tracts of reflective rock pools and glistening sands at low tide, to the accessible outcrop at Tregaron Point, which offers spectacular rocky foregrounds at high tide, this is a multifaceted location.
What's more, the waves can get very big, so check your weather and tidal apps and keep an eye out for an approaching weather front with the swell running in from the south-west. Add and offshore wind to tear the pluming crests away in swirling manes of spindrift and you have ideal conditions.
Chapel Porth
Chapel Porth is where you can set your seascape photography free! At low tide, the beach is vast and you can really get away from everything. Just be aware of the tidal state and don't get cut off.
There are some great vistas that take in Wheal Coates derelict engine houses high up on the cliffs. As the tide rises you get the opportunity to shoot lovely textural images that bring rock and sea together. While in heavy swells, as the tide presses in, the waves pick up as they charge headlong into the bay. So, shooting a storm here can be more rewarding than joining the massed ranks shooting Portreath Pier's 'monkey house' just down the coast.
Holywell Bay
Currently appearing in HBO's House of the Dragon and Apple TV's Down Cemetery Road, Holywell Bay is a popular TV and movie shoot location. That's because visually it just keeps on giving. There are marram covered dunes to explore and a wide tideline looking out to the well known silhouette of Gull Rocks. Big Atlantic rollers, cavernous caves, rugged outcrops, rolling dunes, golden sand, lovely sundowns... what more could you want?
Bedruthan Steps
I have to mention Bedruthan Steps because its impressive cliffs cape 'is Cornwall'. Local legend has it that a giant, Bedruthan, threw huge rocks into the bay to make stepping stones to reach from one side of the bay to the other. A less attractive but far more viable explanation is it saw a huge amount of mining activity in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Whatever may have happened, it is a truly spectacular place to shoot. just be aware of the high cliffs and the steps leading to the beach were damaged in a storm and have yet to be repaired.
Godrevy
St Ives Bay is hemmed by a six mile stretch of golden sand. Here the clear, shallow waters creates a special light that has drawn artists and photographers for years. At its northern end, a lighthouse stands offshore to punctuate the Godrevy Headland. There are always good shots to be taken here in any season and tide, plus it's easily accessible, hence why it gets busy.
Through the seasons
The seasons express Cornwall's coastal attributes beautifully. Spring sees brightening colours and blooming flora and fauna. In late May and early June, sea thrift covers the cliffs in a vibrant pink carpet. Avoid the visitor hotspots and summer can offer fiery hued dawns and sultry sunsets. The autumn months describe Cornwall's richly diverse characteristics wonderfully. While, if you're up for a challenge, low pressure wintry atmospherics can conjure big Atlantic wave action and incredibly complex storm shoots.
Wildlife
Alongside migratory species and native seabirds, Cornish choughs and peregrine falcons are re-establishing their numbers. In the ocean, common and grey seals abound. September through to January is the pupping season so don't get too close. In summer, pods of bottlenose and common dolphins can be seen hunting shoals of mackerel in the bays. In recent years there have been increasing reports of bluefin tuna feeding frenzies. To my knowledge this spectacle has yet to be successfully captured on camera. This presents a challenge for long-lens and drone enthusiasts, who can also seek out basking sharks and sun fish (just be aware of military zones and flight path restrictions).
Tips & advice
The Cornish coastline can be wild, rugged and unforgiving. Be extremely wary of cliff edges or going out onto wet rocks. Always take a fully charged phone with you and pay attention to RNLI / local signage and be aware of the tide, sea state and beach conditions.