Tour Of Cornwall, Summer 2012

In July 2009 we toured Cornwall for the first time, visiting many towns and beaches along the Cornish coastline. The whole experience was an eye-opener to say the least, as we covered most of the places we wanted to visit, although there were still outstanding areas that we simply didn't have time to tick off the list. The Summer of 2010 presented an opportunity for us to put that right by making another long journey south, with an overnight stay in Bath to split the journey in two - ideal for AC (Chauffeur). I know I mention the weather a lot in my blog entries, but when the game is photography the elements play a massive part in what you're hoping to achieve, and the end result is king. Of course, photographic excellence can be achieved during all types of weather, but I prefer wall to wall sun, blue sky and broken clouds for the picture-postcard landscape shots that I predominantly shoot. So, after a mixed bag of weather during our first two visits we were hoping for a much better return in 2012, and we certainly got it. For a full week we were treated to constant sunshine from the moment the sun was up, until sunset around 9.30pm. For three days we hardly saw a cloud and temperatures were up towards the 30 degrees mark, making this a holiday to remember in more ways than one. To view my 2009 slide show, click this link Cornwall. If you like what you see then you may like to view the sequel which can be viewed here - Cornwall Revisited. In the next week or so I will be adding my latest Cornwall slide show to ashleycorr.com, but until then, here is a sneak preview of what to expect, as I photographed even more Towns and Beaches along the Cornish Riviera. Highlights of the week were visits to Porthcurno, which included the Minack Theatre, which is built into the cliff face - definitely one of the jewels in the crown. Padstow, who's inhabitants include world renowned seafood chef Rick Stein, which is always a pre-planned destination of ours. Other places on the tick list were Looe, Polperro and Port Isaac (location of the BBC series Doc Martin), as well as hidden gems such as Goran Haven and Talland Bay, scene of the lone fisherman (below). Tick list complete!
As always, click an image to reveal enlarged versions.

Until the next time, thanks for visiting

Ash

St Michael's Mount, Cornwall

I awoke at 7.00am for an early morning visit to St Michael's Mount near the small town of Marazion. The weather forecasters had predicted that today would be hot and sunny with a scattering of fluffy clouds. Sounded good to me - ideal for those picture postcard shots that I was after.
I was literally up and out the door with my kit and as I only had a couple of hours to spare I was going to make the most of it. A quick stop off at the McDonalds drive-thru had me sorted in the shape of a bacon & egg McMuffin washed down with a coffee. I polished them off as I drove to St Michael's Mount and after parking up in nearby Marazion, I was now ready to grab some shots. The tide was retreating and the cobbled causeway to St Michael's was becoming more visible. I set up the tripod and perched my camera on it before getting to grips with the required settings. I had the sun behind me and a beautiful view in front - couldn't ask for more really. During the time I was there the fluffy clouds eventually showed up and I made the most of my opportunity.
If you ever visit Cornwall, be sure
to visit this place.

Til the next time.

Ash

St Ives, Conwall

St Ives is the most famous of Cornish holiday towns. It was only 15 minutes drive from our base in Hayle, so I made a few visits to photograph it during the day and night. The harbour and beach are by far the most photogenic areas of St Ives and and they proved very popular during my visits. Along the promenade there were the usual gift shops, pubs and restaurants as well as art galleries. The photograph above was taken shortly after sunset as I overlooked St Ives from a nice vantage point. It was a lovely summers night, no breeze, very little noise, just right for some night-time photography before heading back to the car. Job done.

Ash

Polperro, Cornwall - Unforgettable!

One of the most popular places in Cornwall, the village of Polperro is undoubtedly one of the prettiest. Packed tightly into a steep valley on either side of the River Pol, the quaint colour-washed cottages and twisting streets offer surprises at every turn: the Saxon and Roman bridges, the famous House on Props, the old Watch House, the fish quay, and a photography gallery.

With its protected inner harbour full of colourful boats. Polperro is still a working fishing village, although tourism provides the main source of income. Attractions include a Museum of Smuggling and a Model Village.

Of all the and villages towns I visited in Cornwall, Polperro was my favourite. It's a place that is full of character and is almost lost in time. A photographers dream. It was a pity that the tide was out and the tethered boats were on dry dock - a still river would have finished the photographs off well, but it wasn't to be. I stumbled across a photography gallery and popped inside to view the canvasses on display. It was a surreal moment as I felt a sense of familiarity with the place. Surely I'd been here before. No, impossible - this was my first ever visit to Cornwall. Then, as I admired the stunning landscape photography on display, I noticed many of the exhibits were the work of a certain Helen Dixon. Then it suddenly dawned on me, as I realized I had recently read an article about Helen and her work in a photography magazine. I remembered specifics from the acticle in question and how it said Helen's work was on display in 2 galleries in Cornwall. I was now standing in one of them. The magazine feature, on Helen's rise to fame in the photography world, also showed a photo of the gallery interior. My sense of deja-vu as I entered the gallery obviously stemmed from this photo. I've got to say though, her work is on par with the standard that Joe Cornish regularly delivers, and he takes some beating. Not bad at all when you consider Helen Dixon only took up photography as a hobby just a couple of years ago.

When I return to Cornwall I'll make sure Polperro is top of the list when it comes to photography. I'll be sure to check the tide tables too. This was an unforgettable visit.

See ya soon, Ash

A Day In Looe, Cornwall

In medieval times there were two towns on opposite banks of the River Looe. West Looe includes the fishing harbour, the main shopping centre and the sandiest beach. East Looe is quieter, but also has shops, restaurants and hotels and leads to Hannafore with its fine views of Looe Island. The two towns are joined together by a bridge across the river.

My port of call was West Looe. The weather was very kind, with soaring temperatures that ensured the beach was packed and landscape photography in these conditions were going to bring the best out of this lovely town.

I walked through the very busy shopping centre on route to the beach before taking more photographs at the fish quay that overlooked the Looe bridge during low tide. The journey from base to Looe was over 50 miles but well worth the effort. Next stop - Polperro.

Ash