Best Cornwall Landscape Photography of the Year 2020
2020 was a challenging year for everyone, with multiple national and regional Lockdowns affecting our ability to travel and adventure.
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 from 2020, showcasing some of the incredible landscapes Cornwall has to offer.
While some of these locations will be familiar tourism spots, such as St Michael’s Mount and St Ives, he has been able to capture them in moments of quiet solitude, with the unique unpredictability of mother nature that makes them extra special.
ST MICHAEL’S MOUNT FLAMING SKY
On this particular winter morning I had arrived pre-dawn to the promenade of the Jubilee Pool in Penzance, and set up overlooking the bay towards St Michael’s Mount, hopeful of a spectacular sunrise.
As light slowly crept into the sky, I could see it was going to be a cloudy morning with no guarantee of any colour. Using a telephoto lens, I focused in on the view of the Mount, with the Marazion coastline in the background, and waited.
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.
I captured this shot on a day when the skies were clear, allowing a really strong beam of light to pass through the famous crack in the cliffs. I waded out into the water to be able to secure a front-facing angle directly into the rocky cavern.
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. The powerful glow of light illuminates the rocks which have a wonderful stark texture against the ethereal sunlight.
Nanjizal Glow is a stunning image of one of Cornwall’s best kept secrets.
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.
Taking a series of long exposure shots, I returned home and layered each shot together to bring out the sharpness of the stars in the sky, and illuminate the historic dappled brickwork of the mine.
Rinsey Starry Night is a breath-taking scene of Cornwall’s mining history beneath a blanket of stars.
PORTHCURNO RAINBOW
In Porthcurno Rainbow, I had risen early to catch the sunrise over Logan Rock in Treen. With the sun up, I changed direction and faced down the coast towards Porthcurno Beach and the Minnack Theatre.
As is so typical of the Cornish climate, after what had been a peaceful morning there was a sudden flurry of weather changes. A sea breeze blew in a heavy raincloud and there was a burst of activity in the skies. 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.
Porthcurno Rainbow is a special shot capturing the fleeting moments of Cornwall’s everchanging weather conditions, that make landscape photography so thrilling.
ST IVES RIPPLED SANDS
To capture some of the best shots, you have to be prepared to get your feet wet! On this morning, I ventured out into the shallow waters of low tide at Porthminster Beach to photograph the view of St Ives. The sun rising from the east of the shot casts a golden glow onto the buildings of the harbour front, illuminating the scene.
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.
GURNARD’S HEAD GOLDEN SUNSET
Gurnard’s Head is situated on the north coast of Cornwall and on this summer’s evening I had walked out along the coastal path to capture sundown. The old mine ruins cast such a striking figure against the sky, I wanted to incorporate them into the scene to showcase Cornwall’s historical past and the beautiful relics that remain.
I left the coastal path and climbed slightly higher into the hillside to balance the stone ruins against the distant coastal landscape. The setting sun held enough light to bring out the greenery of the expanding summer foliage, including the dense ferns and ivy, peppered with coastal flowers.
The warm glow of sunset over the rocks, balances with the intricate foreground of the mine ruins, and is a brilliant advert for the beauty of Cornwall’s coastal walking routes.
WHEAL COATES STEEL BLUE
I have photographed Wheal Coates mine numerous times, and on this occasion, wanted to capture the broad expanse of the coastline that the mine sits on. I travelled out onto the cliffs overlooking Porth Beach with a view of the engine house towers jutting out of the landscape. It was a summer’s evening and the sun was just beginning to fade, turning the sky a very light blue.
The sea was calm and the evening light was giving the waters a steely blue effect that contrast wonderfully with the shadowy coastline and undulating hills. The clarity of the landscape sitting stark against the pale blue seas and skies makes this a really effective shot for showing the depth of the Cornish coast.
GODREVY SILHOUETTE
I don’t often photograph silhouettes in my landscape work, but I had long had an idea to capture the outline of Godrevy Lighthouse in the setting sun in this breathtaking fashion.
I waited for a clear summer sky that would have the best chance of a bold golden hour glow. Standing on the coastline, I tracked the sun’s descent so that I was in the correct position to capture the light as it passed through the window panes of the tower. This involved minute by minute adjustments of my position, mirroring the sun’s movements and ensuring it was fully contained within the window.
I had to be very careful with the levels of exposure used on this shot to avoid the colours bleaching and getting washed out, as well as keeping the silhouette in deep stark contrast.
KYNANCE COVE MILKY WAY
The summer months are the best time to photograph the Milky Way in the UK, and with its low levels of light pollution, Cornwall is an ideal place. When clear skies present themselves during a New Moon phase, I will often take advantage of the conditions and venture out to see what I can capture.
Kynance Cove is a very striking part of the Cornish coastline, where the jagged rocks create bold shapes and focal points. The distant boats and buoys on the water provide some extra light sources and points of interest within the scene.
Not only was I able to capture the Milky Way with exceptional clarity, but there was also the iridescent mother-of-pearl shimmer to the sky that makes astrophotography so beautiful.
COT VALLEY HEATHER
The Cornish coastline has an abundance of colourful flowering plants that can withstand the tough weather conditions that sweep in from the ocean. While I was sunset-searching in Cot Valley I noticed a blanket of purple bell heather covering the coastline close to the sea. I carefully climbed my way to a spot that I could nestle my camera close to the flowers while waiting for sunset.
Cornwall’s weather can change in an instant, and it was a very cloudy evening when, for a few minutes, the setting sun cut through a thin gap with a small burst of orange. I used a neutral density filter on my camera to increase the exposure and smooth out the clouds in the sky. I was rewarded by the beautiful silvery streaks of light that spread across the sky as the sun sank beneath the horizon.
The overall effect of this image is one of cool, calming colours. The smooth silver light, steely grey of the sea and cool purple of the heather make it a soft yet striking scene.
PEDN VOUNDER GOLD COAST
Sunrise is a prime time to notice interesting changes in landscapes as heat is gradually injected into the day. I was photographing the sunrise at Pedn Vounder, angled towards Logan’s Rock, when I noticed the rising sea mists coming from the rugged coast.
The spray generated by the sea as it hit the rocks was sending a thin, misty vapour up the cliff face which was shrouded in pale golden light. The low position of the morning sun creates a magnificent backlight that shows the detailed layers of the rock and the imposing shadows they cast, so that the overall effect is quite magical, with a fantasy feel to the scenery.
What makes Pedn Vounder Gold Coast so special, is that it looks so different to my usual coastal photography, and many would never guess this was taken in the UK.
MULLION COVE LAVA SKY
Mullion Cove Lava Sky is proof that cloudy skies can be just as spectacular as clear sunsets. Throughout the day there had been some interesting textured cloud formations moving in a westerly direction which gave me a strong sense that I could capture a unique sunset.
Mullion Cove has a quaint fisherman’s cottage tucked into the rocks that makes for a beautiful quintessential coastal fishing scene, and I chose this as my destination. At sunset, the sun dips behind Mullion Island giving it an incredible backlight that on this occasion was burning with a bright orange glow. There was a break in the clouds that allows the sun to cast down onto the water directly between the gap in the small harbour walls which draws the eyes down to the small cottage and intricate details of the lobster cages and floats.
The flame-coloured light hitting the clouds gives the texture of molten lava spreading across the sky and is in perfect contrast with the quiet, sleepy shoreline.
