Best Cornwall Landscapes of the Year 2024
At the start of every year, I can never predict how my landscape photography will unfold. While it has long been a passion of mine, I am also very busy with my commercial photography, and I have to fit landscape work around commercial shoots.
Looking back on 2024 I can see that there was an imbalance of content between winter/spring and summer/autumn. In the early part of the year, I was able to dedicate more time to landscape photography. I took advantage of opportunities to make trips and captured some fantastic wintery scenes. I was also really pleased to capture some snowfall on camera, which is notoriously difficult as snow can be very fleeting in Cornwall. The coastal conditions mean that often snow does not stay long, and you have to be very reactive and spontaneous with your availability to shoot in these conditions.
As the year progressed and temperatures rose, so too did my commercial photography bookings. With one of my busiest years for commercial shoots, my time for landscape work was more restricted. That being said, I was still able to visit two new locations, Charlestown and Mevagissey, to add to my landscape portfolio. I was also able to capture bluebell season with excellent quality and conditions I’ve not previously been afforded.
While I may not have been able to dedicate as much time as usual to landscape photography in 2024, I am pleased with the diversity and range of shots that have made it into my Top 10 images of the year.
ST MICHAEL’S MOUNT WINTER SNOW
Snow in Cornwall can be a rare sight. The weather can change so fast here that, often, any snow disappears as quickly as it arrives. Having photographed Cornish landscapes for more than a decade, I’m very familiar with the various coastal webcams, and monitor the weather to assess the best locations to head out to.
On this snowy morning in February, I was scouring the cameras and could barely see St Michael’s Mount from what appeared to be heavy snowfall. Despite it still being very early, by the time I arrived a lot of the snow had already receded, and the mount itself had no coverage. Some snow remained on the rocks leading to the shore and down the slipway, and a beautiful golden light was rising to the left of the island, giving me some really interesting conditions to work with.
Captured during high tide, St Michael’s Mount Winter Snow comprises three key features of land, sea and sky. The dramatic rocky tideline powdered with snow and edged in yellow light, gives way to the calm coastal waters drawing the eye out to St Michael’s Mount. Steeped in shadow, the island sits in stark contrast with the golden dawn and blue skies overhead. The dusting of freshly fallen snow is captured in such detail, it offers a cool contrast to the warm glow of the rising sun.
PORTREATH RISING TIDE
I have been wanting to add Portreath to my Cornish landscape photography gallery and I planned various visits to explore the area and select my favourite spots. I came across this inlet and felt confident that I could produce something special and unique.
The weather conditions at Portreath were great, but when I arrived it was still low tide with the water far out. I got myself set up and then it was simply time to wait it out until high tide. I waited nearly two hours for the changing tides, and once water was filling the inlet, I worked with the patches of sunlight coming through the clouds that would illuminate the distant headland and throw light and shade onto the rocks.
This final shot of Portreath Rising Tide was completely worth the wait! Not only does the sunlight lift the piece to reveal all its detail and texture, the high tide brought with it a brilliant turquoise hue and choppy waves that create a mist of sea spray as the tidal waters meet the coastline.
BLUEBELLS CLEARING PENDARVES WOODS
Bluebells Clearing is a photograph that reflects the serene, ethereal beauty of a peaceful patch of woodland known locally as The Reens, not far from Pendarves Woods in central Cornwall. In the lead up to this photograph, I had been hoping to bolster my Cornish landscape collection with a quintessential springtime shot. To capture what I was looking for, I had a particular idea in mind for the location, as well as the right conditions to present these iconic seasonal flowers in all their glory. While out looking for prime bluebell locations in the area, I discovered that The Reens was home to an abundance of these delicate, violet and blue-hued flowers, far more than I had found in nearby Pendarves. I scouted the area for the perfect setting, and came across this enchanting clearing in the middle of the woods.
Serving to create the perfect composition, a fine mist hung over the woodland as I set up my camera. Exactly what I had been hoping for, the diffused light helped to soften the scene, blur the boundaries, and create a harmonious blend of colours and contrasts. Drawing the eye, a striking tree stump rested in the middle of the clearing. Creating space for the sea of bluebells, it provided a subtle focal point and added even more intrigue to the scene. The trees on the right framed the scene beautifully, while those on the left diverged in a way that drew attention and added elegant, natural asymmetry. The mist worked its magic, softening the entire image and bringing together all the elements – the vibrant bluebells, the stately trees, and the otherworldly atmosphere – for one of my favourite springtime stills.
PORTREATH BLUE
Having made a number of trips to Portreath to get a better understanding of the area, I instinctively wanted to capture this particular spot at sunrise, looking back at Portreath Harbour with the sun coming up on the horizon.
The morning I chose was clear and calm with an almost cloudless sky. Being so early in the day, the sea was a deep teal blue and I used a neutral-density filter to smooth out its surface texture and balance with the sky overhead.
I chose to keep the rising sun out of shot, keeping the tones of the piece even and not bleaching light across the buildings. The sun to the left balances the amber glow behind the cliff edge to the right, while the harbour wall sweeps across the vista, carrying the eye across the piece.
MULLION COASTLINE
Taken in late afternoon on a cold, wintery day in February, Mullion Coastline captures the effects of strong gusty winds rolling in from the sea and hitting the mainland.
I had wanted to include Mullion harbour walls within the shot, so I made my way higher up the coastal path for a more elevated position. Standing to the north of Mullion, shooting the southern peninsula of Cornwall, I waited for sunset.
Winter sunlight is often a very harsh, bright light that can bleach out its surroundings, and so I decided to shoot with the sun just out of frame. The gusts of wind were making the water choppy and turbulent, and I used my neutral density filter ever so lightly to draw out the feathering of the white water close to shore.
To add some foreground texture and depth to the overall scene, I included the yellow gorse flowers along the coastal path. Once I got home, I decided to colour grade the image to bring the yellow gorse and pale sunlight more in line with each other and create balanced light across the piece.
Mullion Coastline shows the beauty of the Cornish coast in winter, and the natural energy of sun, wind and sea.
CHARLESTOWN LOCK GATE
Charlestown is a historic Cornish industrial harbour, made famous in recent years for being the filming location of the BBC series Poldark. I spent time there in the summer, looking to capture the place from lesser documented angles than those that attract the tourists.
Walking along the road that runs above the harbour, I chose this angle to capture the inner and outer harbours at high tide, with the coastline bending and curving its way into the distance. The concrete harbour walls and pedestrian walkway over the lock create horizontal lines across the shot, adding depth and segmenting the water into three elements.
The inner harbour is continuously topped up and fed water via a sluice system. Using my neutral density filter, I was able to capture the white water feathering out into the inner harbour, and it helps to draw the eyes across the scene.
While the concrete structures and vivid red floats highlight the manmade features, there is a good balance with nature. The setting sun hitting the tree tops diverts the focus to the lush green coastline surrounding the port. The golden sunlight contrasts nicely with the dark waters of the harbour, sheltered in the cove as evening sets in.
Charlestown Lock Gate is a Cornish landscape portrait full of detail. From modern to historic, natural to industrial, it captures the essence of a place that has continued to develop and adapt to the passing of time.
LANYON QUOIT AFTER THE STORM
Taken in mid-January after a night of snowfall and stormy weather, this is one of my favourite shots of Lanyon Quoit, one of west Cornwall’s iconic historical landmarks. The formation of standing stones supporting a large capstone are what’s known as a dolmen, marking an ancient tomb site. There are a number of dolmens across Cornwall, and I was keen to add them to my portfolio.
Snow can dissipate very quickly in Cornwall with the rapidly changing weather conditions sweeping in from the sea. I checked a lot of the local Cornish webcams to track the movements of the storm and snowfall and could see it was heaviest in the west. The opportunity to capture Lanyon Quoit during these unique weather conditions was very appealing and I jumped in the car and drove west.
Arriving at Lanyon Quoit, I scouted the area to assess the different angles surrounding the stones. Snow was still dusting the ground, and as the dark storm clouds were moving away, sunlight began to break through.
I decided to shoot low to the ground in order for the light to shroud the stones, creating a high contrast, dramatic outline against the sky. I feel that this low angle emphasises the significance of the dolmen and its ancient historical legacy. Being at this level, the emerging light also touches upon the mid ground glistening with snow crystals.
Lanyon Quoit After the Storm is a striking piece of Cornish landscape photography, capturing Cornwall’s impressive ancient history.
GUNWALLOE AT NIGHT
One night in March 2024, I headed out under starlight with the aim of capturing some astrophotography. At the time, it was quite early in what is known as the Milky Way season, which is often what draws photographers out into the chilly night air. That said, this was only a small part of my focus, with my attention fixed on the glittering night sky as a whole. To find the perfect vantage point, I visited Gunwalloe (Church Cove) on the Lizard Peninsula. This was a location I had visited several times during the day beforehand; however, I had not quite achieved what I wanted to. For this shoot, I planned ahead to when the sea would be at the perfect stage between mid and low tide, unveiling some really striking rock formations to use as foreground elements.
The focal point for this shot, I found a series of rocks extending from the shore, resembling a miniature onyx mountain range heading out to sea. Positioning my camera, I set a 20-second exposure, allowing the water plenty of time to filter around the rocks. Creating an almost mist-like quality, the lapsed movement of the sea really adds to this sense of clouds whirling around jagged peaks. Of course, above this dreamlike scene on the shore is the even more spellbinding vision of the night sky. Studded with countless glistening star clusters and the faint tail end of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, this incredible cosmic scene really exudes a sense of mysticism and scale that’s quite hard to comprehend. With the juxtaposition of the silken sea and sawtooth rocks topped with the star-filled sky, it’s a beautiful capture that really pulls you in no matter how many times you’ve seen it.
MEVAGISSEY LIGHTHOUSE
For me, one of the things I love most about Mevagissey Lighthouse is its minimalistic yet captivating quality. The day I took it, I had been in the historic fishing village of Mevagissey in South Cornwall for a commercial shoot. Upon wrapping up and heading home for the day, I veered off on a little detour towards the harbour for one more wander around, admiring the views and looking out for some sunset inspiration. Being on the south coast, I knew that the sun would be setting behind me, but that there was a good chance it’d be casting some really nice light across the harbour. Happily, it was.
As I walked along the harbour, the lighthouse caught my eye, gently illuminated by the sun’s final rays. Built in 1896, Mevagissey Lighthouse has been both a sentry and guide for over a century and is still used to this day. On this particular evening, the glass windows and side of the lighthouse were set aglow by the soft light of the fading day and shared the same pastel palette of the sky. To do the scene justice, I decided to focus on the top of the lighthouse to emphasise its dreamy quality and colours. Minimising the background and aligning the top of the lighthouse to the left, the final frame really shows off the negative space and creates a very soft, inviting snapshot that really stands out against some of my perhaps more dramatic work.
CHARLESTOWN COASTLINE
During a summer visit to Charlestown on the south coast of Cornwall, I took a walk to seek out an interesting vantage point of the harbour. It was early evening and the sun was gradually beginning to lower in the sky, sending shafts of light across the coastline and drenching the harbour walls. Shadows of the hedgerows and treelines stretch across the open fields, capturing the warmth of a quiet summer evening.
Being the height of summer, the treelines and vegetation were quite overgrown, but I knew they had the potential to be useful for framing my shot. I found this vantage point which has a great balance of Charlestown harbour and the coastline in the background, with dappled sunshine hitting the foreground.
As I was setting up the shot, I noticed some gig rowers preparing to head out to sea. I waited, hoping to be able to incorporate them into the scene, and was rewarded when they rowed directly out of the centre of the harbour. This small detail of capturing the gig rowers adds to the storytelling of Cornish life.
Charlestown Coastline captures a beautiful summer evening on the South coast of Cornwall.
