Photographic breaks

Weston-super-Mare makes a great place for photography all year-round and is the perfect place for a photography break or photographic holiday.

With beautiful beaches – including one that has amassed 23million views on Tik Tok – two piers, cliffs, sand, dunes, a causeway and a tidal river, Weston has all the elements to get you clicking away all the way through from sunrise to one of our famous sunsets. 

Throw in some incredible street art, Victorian architecture and a vibrant events scene and you will soon be filling your memory card with top shots from all over wonderful Weston-super-Mare. So why not check out our accommodation guide right here and book yourself and your camera a cheeky getaway.

The Grand Pier

The Grand Pier is Weston’s most iconic landmark and a photographer’s dream offering up the opportunity to capture a mightily impressive man-made structure against the natural beauty of the sea and beach.    

Whether you’re photographing it at dawn, dusk, or under stormy skies, this impressive structure offers endless opportunities for creative expression – and with the sun setting out at sea you don’t have to get up at silly o’clock to capture it against some spectacular skies. Place it with the island of Steep Holm in shot and you’ve got perfect lead in lines or get creative and explore the structure beneath the pier. 

Whether you’re photographing at dawn, dusk, or in the midst of a storm, the pier offers endless opportunities for creative expression and the combination of tides and light mean it is an ever-changing canvas and the perfect place to experiment and enjoy. 

Birnbeck Pier

Weston’s other pier is the soon-to-be renovated Birnbeck Pier. Its decaying structure which sits out on a natural island, is a photographer’s and artist’s dream offering the potential for some haunting and beautiful scenes – but don’t get too carried away. No photograph is worth your safety. It is a structure that keeps our lifeboat crew busy so always photograph it from a safe distance, don’t be tempted to walk out onto the causeway. There really is no need. There are enough safe viewpoints to get some cracking shots from sea level or above. And if you must get close, use a telephoto lens to do it!

The Prince Consort Gardens, the promenade past Anchor Head and the Toll Road between Weston-super-Mare all offer some good elevated positions and there’s also a cracking high vantage point in Weston Woods, particularly in the winter when the trees have shed their leaves. 

With the sun setting out at sea this is another shot that can be left to the evening.

Marine Lake & Knightstone Island

Marine Lake and Knightstone Island which are situated at the northern end of Weston’s main beach, are another camera-made location. This man-made lake, filled with sea water, offers a tranquil setting where you can take time over your photography and create some really expressive shots whatever the weather.

Its causeway, with chain railings running alongside is impossible to resist, particularly looking out to sea in the evening - silhouetting strolling couples against the sunset - with the island of Steep Holm in the background. 

The causeway leading to Knightstone Island, with its historic buildings, is another irresistible shot symmetrical shot with leading lines which takes on a different look as the tides, weather and light changes. It doesn’t have to be a blue sky day to shoot keepers here. Posts rising out of the sea into the mist work wonderfully as do people walking the causeway struggling to hold onto the brollies. Meanwhile, still days with calm water, make it a great place to catch reflections as well. Whatever the weather, this area is a sure-fire winner.

Weston’s main beach

Weston’s sweeping main beach with its expansive sand and tidal mud flats forms a perfect canvas for great seascapes. When the tide is out, the sand can create some dramatic reflections and interest. Evening or morning light brings the most out of the patterns in the sand with shadows and warm hues.

Uphill

Think you know Weston, think again. Uphill opens up a whole new world of photography with its cliffs, boatyard, nature reserve, beacon, estuary and clifftop church.
Photographers can fill their boots here. Get up early and climb Uphill hill to capture the sunrise coming up over the beacon. Then turn round to capture the early rays kissing the huge rock of Brean Down and the historic St Nicholas Church on the clifftop.

Capture also the panoramic views of the coast, over Weston and also the glorious Somerset scene laid out before you.
Walk some of the Brean Down Way for the best views back to Uphill and of the church perched on the top of the cliff.

Then return in the evening for sunset out to sea.

Uphill Beach

Uphill Beach is where the estuary meets the sea played out with the cavernous rock of Brean Down behind it. There are boats in the estuary and to make the scene even more complete there’s a pretty cottage at the foot of Brean Down. No wonder this beach has had more than 23 million views on Tik Tok.

Weston street art

Weston’s large outdoor gallery of street art offers endless opportunities for street photographers and some fantastic backdrops for portrait photographers. Don't let rainy days put you off. Reflections in puddles can add an altogether new dimension to street photography.

North of Marine Lake

Follow the wide path which runs around Marine Lake in a northerly direction and you will soon come across some rocks and small stoney beaches. These offer some tremendous shooting options. Try some super-slow shutter speeds to soften and capture the waves against the rocks.

Also look out for the broken causeway which once led to Birnbeck Island and offers a superb leading line. Remember though. Don’t walk out onto the causeway. Pay attention to the tide times and remember that here the sea comes in an awful lot faster than you think it does.

Weston windzone

Windy days in Weston are fab for some sporting shots. Capture the wind and kite surfers out at sea using a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. Also watch out for the Blo-karters racing their three-wheeled karts across the sand in a colourful spectacle. But always remember sand and cameras don’t mix. If you’re hoping to catch some windsport action on the beach, cover your camera in a raincover and don’t attempt to change lenses unless you can do it from the comfort of your car or you want to spend hours in post-production cleaning dust spots off every single image you've taken! 

Weston events

Weston has got some cracking events to photograph all year round so keep an eye on our what’s on pages to see what takes your fancy. Here’s a couple of our favourite biggies to photograph.

Weston Carnival

Brilliant potential but hard to pull off. It’s one of the most difficult events we photograph. The carnival karts are so brightly lit that many of the performers are cast in shadow. Be careful not to be too trigger happy at the expense of checking your images on the display screen and zooming into the faces of the characters to check your exposure. It’s a constant juggling of exposures from cart to cart.  A flashgun for some fill-in can be your friend here. Also, the carts are massive. Think wide angle not telephoto.

Weston Beach Race

Another event with cracking potential but not without its problems. Expect you and your camera to be covered in sand and water thrown up by the hundreds of motorbikes. Make sure your camera is covered with the appropriate rain coverings otherwise your dream shot may come at a very high cost. Remember also that you will be competing with a big crowd of bike fans for the best viewing spots.

Photography tips for your break in Weston

1)    The Golden Hour, shortly after sunrise and before sunset, offers the best natural light. Its soft warm tones enhance the beauty of seascapes and landscapes.
2)    Check the tide times. The beauty of seaside locations is that the scene is always changing because of the tides and sea conditions. Don’t be tempted to think it’s not worth taking the camera out if the sea is out.  Low tide can offer expansive sand, reflective surfaces and patterns in the sand. 
3)    Weather Conditions. Cloudy skies can add mood and drama to your shots. Here in Weston wet weather days often  give way to glorious sunsets so don’t lose hope. If it’s been wet look out for reflections in puddles. Visit some of our street art and see if you can get it reflected in a puddle.
4)    Composition: Use leading lines such as the Grand Pier or pathways to draw the viewer’s eye into your scenes. The curved pathway around Marine Lake and the straight causeway to Knightstone Island are tailor-made subjects.
5)    Don’t worry about what you haven’t got. Focus on what you have got. Photographers often get hung up on what kit they haven’t got. Here in Weston that isn’t a problem. You can create some great compositions with just your kit lens. If you do have a selection of lenses it can be fun to just take one out with you. A wide angle one day, a telephoto the next and a middle distance one the next. It makes a huge difference to your photography and really focuses your mind to see different things and create some really get some really creative new composistions.
6)    Events: Keep an eye on our What’s On section for fun events to photograph.
7)    Book yourself into a B&B or hotel where you have got 24 hour access. Something like Highlea House bed and breakfast, which is really close to Marine Lake, Knightstone Island and the seafront is perfect. You can get out before sunrise, nip back after your shoot for one of Scott’s famous breakfasts. Then in the late afternoon/evening you can have a bit of a rest before heading out before sunset to do it all again.
8)    Sunrise in Weston occurs inland throwing a lovely morning light on our seafront while our famous sunsets happen out at sea.

Conclusion

Weston offers the perfect mix for a photographic holiday or mini-break with your camera. It is a treasure trove for photographers with beautiful natural landscapes and made-made structures complementing the scene and throwing up endless opportunities to create stunning images. So whether you’re capturing seascapes, looking for urban street art or chasing Weston's famous sunsets, you'll be able to fill your memory card with plenty of keepers!