Kynance Cove Walking Tour: A Guide to Photographing its Majestic Landscape

(3 reviews)

Porthleven, Cornwall audio tour: Kynance Cove Walking Tour: A Guide to Photographing its Majestic Landscape

This is a 1.1mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

Porthleven, Cornwall

The United Kingdom

$8.99

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About the Tour

Discover why Kynance Cove is the jewel in the crown of Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula. One of Britain’s most spectacular coastal locations, Kynance Cove also has incredible photographic potential, as we’ll discover on this informative walking tour. Join me, a professional photographer, on a coastal stroll as I show you rugged clifftops, golden sandy beaches and eye-catching sea stacks and islands, all of which will inspire you to capture some amazing images.

During this 90-minute walk along part of the South West Coast Path, we’ll explore a few popular places like Kynance Cove Cafe and Pentreath Beach along with a couple of secret spots which may involve getting your feet wet, so dress appropriately! You’ll learn a little about the history and geography of Kynance Cove, and why it’s a landscape photography hotspot.

Along the way, I’ll also share some useful photography tips including:

Best practices when it comes to shooting landscapes and seascapes
The best times of the day or year to visit key locations
Handy vantage points
Compositional suggestions
Other highly recommended locations near to Kynance Cove
Advice for other genres, especially wildlife, nature and astrophotography

This tour will help you make the most of your time on location, whether you’re planning your next trip, scouting a potential workshop or photoshoot destination, or just seizing the moment. The tour is suitable for all kinds and levels of photographer – from smartphone novices to mirrorless or DSLR professionals. And, while you're encouraged to bring your camera, you don't need one to enjoy the tour – just your phone, some sensible footwear and a little curiosity.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s go!

Tour Producer

Photodyssey

3 tours

Travel photography tours of the UK's most popular locations.

Discover iconic spots and hidden gems with the help of a curious adventurer who loves exploring incredible locations for you to enjoy. Join me as we scout the best vantage points to shoot from, uncover fascinating subjects and compositions for all kinds of outdoor conditions, and discuss practical tips which everyone can learn irrespective of skill level or equipment setup.

Why spend countless hours searching for your next photography adventure when these audio tours do the hard work for you, giving you the skinny in a fun and informative way. And because each tour is created with photographers in mind, you can be assured that each route is full of incredible subject matter and countless compositions.

So when you're ready, grab your gear, take a relaxing walk with me and hopefully you'll capture some amazing images - and some amazing memories too.

Preview Location

Location 8

The beach

Congratulations - you're on Kynance Cove beach. Feel free to wander around and explore this section of beach whilst I describe its potential. If you're here during the summer with lots of holidaymakers around then it's probably best that you head towards the Kynance Cove Caf... Congratulations - you're on Kynance Cove beach. Feel free to wander around and explore this section of beach whilst I describe its potential. If you're here during the summer with lots of holidaymakers around then it's probably best that you head towards the Kynance Cove Cafe and on towards a less congested location. If you're here at a quieter time though and at low tide, then you should be able to explore the sandy beach and rock stacks.

The beach offers some great opportunities for more creative types of photography. Personally, I enjoy capturing long-exposure images of waves streaking across the beach, especially as they curve and flow around boulders. You can also try macro photography here, zooming in on the cracks and fissures in the colourful serpentinite rock or capturing the unique patterns which form in the sand after it's been swept clean by the previous tide. If conditions are lively out to sea then I also love to break out my long lens to capture waves rolling or breaking against the rocks. Standing on the beach allows you to shoot the waves at eye level, which makes them even more impressive and allows for some fascinating shots.

If you're a more adventurous kind of person then you can get even more up close and personal with your photography. I haven't tried this myself but I've often shared the beach with wetsuit-wearing photographers who love diving into an oncoming wave or snorkelling in the shallows. With water this clear and with the right light I'm sure the resulting images look incredible, but I prefer to keep my camera gear dry! That being said, many of those photographers were using action cameras or even their smartphones which are becoming sufficiently waterproof these days, so maybe technology allows us to explore more. Just like VoiceMap!

Whilst we're on the beach, allow me to share some tripod tips which may be useful. If you're a landscape photographer then you probably use a tripod, and if you're a seascape photographer then you've probably suffered the problem of your tripod shifting position when standing on the sand, resulting in soft images. This is especially troublesome when capturing long exposures of streaky waves. Via a combination of trial and error and many YouTube videos, I learned a few tricks which significantly improved my image sharpness. Firstly, make sure that your tripod has spiked feet. Most tripods nowadays come with removable spikes or have threaded recesses for third-party spikes to be attached. My spikes are permanently attached to my tripod because I don't use it indoors. If your tripod isn't spike compatible then either consider buying another tripod for seascape photography or drill some holes in the bottom of your tripod feet and glue or screw some spikes in place.

Secondly, if you don't have circular snow shoes for your tripod which are also great for sand then place an old CD or DVD underneath each tripod foot to spread the weight of the tripod over a larger surface area and reduce the chances of it listing if the underlying sand shifts. This may involve some effort if you try to lift a leg and place a CD underneath when waves are washing back and forth, so be careful. If you don't have any CDs then anything small, portable and sturdy will suffice - mug coasters also work in a pinch.

Thirdly, extend the lowermost section of your tripod legs first to minimise the amount of sand and saltwater which gets into your legs. If you extend the uppermost leg section first then you risk having more of your fragile levers or collars exposed to corrosive sand and seawater. And always wash your tripod down with fresh water after a seascape session. I usually keep a bottle of water and microfibre towels in the car to clean my tripod down before I drive home.

Fourthly, use your free hand to gently stabilise your tripod just before you take a shot. Don't press too hard - you're not trying to prevent it from blowing over in a storm - but you want to apply enough pressure to stop it from sinking or listing. And finally, if you're shooting streaky waves then don't photograph the oncoming wave which will cause vibrations as it hits the tripod; photograph the receding wave instead as it washes away from you. Oh and don't use the shutter button; use a remote trigger or shutter release cable instead. If you don't have one of those then use your camera's two-second timer although timing your shot to coincide with the wave will involve some trial and error. That was a lot of information in a short burst but I hope it made sense - good luck!

Take your time exploring the beach because the pools, streams and rock outcrops can make for excellent compositions. Once you've finished exploring, head towards the Kynance Cove Cafe and climb the staircase to the left of the cafe up to the patio area in front. Read More

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Major Landmarks

National Trust - Kynance Cove Car Park
Kynance Cove
Kynance Cove Cafe
Asparagus Island
The Lizard National Nature Reserve
Pentreath Beach
Lizard Peninsula

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Helston TR12 7PJ, UK
Total distance

2km
Final location
49.97275434, -5.22552048
Distance back to start location

171.46m

Directions to Starting Point

If travelling by road, head for the National Trust Kynance Cove car park, which is pay and display unless you're a National Trust member.
Post code for satnav: TR12 7PJ
what3words reference: folders.drizzly.sprayer

If travelling by public transport, catch the number 34 bus to Lizard village before walking north along the A3083 for approximately one mile (20 minutes) and following signs to Kynance Cove.

If following the South West Coast Path on foot, this area is covered by the Ordnance Survey Explorer 103 map. The path is easy to follow although the terrain can be challenging in places. Head North from Lizard Point (which can also be explored via a VoiceMap tour) for approximately 20 minutes, or south from Mullion Cove for just over one hour.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Lion Rock, Pentreath Beach, The Kynance Cove cafe

Best time of day

This spot can be enjoyed at any time of the day, including at night if you're into astrophotography. Sunrises can be spectacular if light shines onto the east-facing rock stacks which form the western edge of the cove, but sunsets over the sea can also be incredible. Make sure you arrive at least an hour before golden hour to scout a good location and frame a composition. And allow 30 minutes to return to the National Trust car park from the furthest points of the route if you stay out after dusk.

Low tide allows you to explore the beach around the rock stacks. Otherwise, high tide - especially when it's windy - provides incredible photo opportunities of waves crashing against the rocks.

Precautions

Check tide times, especially if you want to explore the beach or rock stacks. If you venture onto the beach, take extra care as the staircase and rocks can be very slippery. Sensible footwear - ideally walking boots or wellingtons - is essential if you don't want to fall over and damage your camera gear!

Stay away from cliff edges and be mindful of your footing when standing on rocky ledges or boulders, especially if you're preoccupied by the scene in your viewfinder. This is particularly important when wave-watching during rough weather or if shooting astrophotography - there are no lampposts here.

Be prepared for changeable weather and dress appropriately. It should take 90 minutes to casually stroll along this route so take what you need to last that long. Be aware that mobile phone coverage is non-existent at the lowest points of the cove and patchy everywhere else.

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Questions and Reviews

4.7 / 5

3 Ratings

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