Brean & Berrow, Somerset — 14 September 2026
There are days when photography is about being in exactly the right place for a few fleeting minutes of perfect light. And then there are days when it is simply about spending time somewhere, exploring what the changing light gives you and adapting as the day unfolds.
Monday 14 September was very much the latter.
We travelled down to the Somerset coast during the morning, arriving around early afternoon and spending the first part of the day exploring Brean and Berrow. It wasn't the time of day I would normally choose for landscape photography — the sun was high and the light was strong — but sometimes conditions that initially seem less than ideal can lead you in a completely different direction.
Midday light catching the wet sand at Brean Beach, Somerset.
Rather than fighting the harsh light, I decided to use it.
The wet sand was catching the sunlight beautifully, creating areas of intense brightness surrounded by deep shadow. Once I started looking at the landscape in terms of shape, texture and contrast rather than colour, I could immediately see the potential for black and white.
Getting low to the beach brought out all the texture left behind by the retreating tide. The reflected sunlight almost turned the wet sand metallic, while the clouds gave the scene the drama it needed above the horizon.
A line of weathered wooden posts stretching towards the horizon at Brean Beach, Somerset.
SPACE, SAND AND THE SOMERSET COAST
One of the things that strikes you about this stretch of coastline at low tide is its sheer scale.
With the tide so far out, the beach seems to stretch forever. Walking across that huge expanse of sand, with the dunes running alongside and the distant coastline on the horizon, gives you a real sense of just how open this part of Somerset feels.
Photography was obviously part of the reason for coming here, but this is also simply a wonderful coastline to explore. You certainly don't need to have a camera with you to appreciate it — whether you're walking the beach, exploring the local area or just enjoying the space and sea air, Brean and Berrow are places where it's very easy to spend a few hours.
A BREAK BEFORE THE EVENING LIGHT
After spending the afternoon exploring and photographing the beach, we headed to the bed and breakfast I'd booked for the night. It turned out to be a fantastic place to stay and gave us the perfect opportunity to take a break, recharge and get ready to head back out later in the day.
One of the things I enjoyed about this trip was that it didn't feel as though the whole day had to revolve around photography. Brean and Berrow are simply lovely places to spend some time, with huge open beaches and plenty to explore in the surrounding area.
After a chance to relax, we headed back out towards Berrow for the evening. By then the character of the coast was beginning to change completely.
Heading back along the vast expanse of Berrow Beach for the evening session.
Heading back along the vast expanse of Berrow Beach as the evening light begins to change.
WHEN THE PLAN CHANGES
I'd arrived at the wreck with an idea of the photograph I wanted to make. With the remains of the Nornen against the evening light, I hoped the conditions would come together for a much tighter composition of the wreck.
For a while, I waited and watched the light, hoping that the scene I'd pictured would develop. But landscape photography doesn't always work like that. However carefully you plan, ultimately the weather and the light have the final say.
The photograph I had in mind simply wasn't coming together.
Rather than continue chasing an image that wasn't there, I changed my approach. I stepped back, looked at the wider scene and began to notice how much more interesting the whole landscape had become. The wreck was no longer the photograph in itself — it became part of something much bigger.
The colour stretching across the horizon, the huge expanse of beach and the remains of the Nornen suddenly worked together far better than the photograph I'd originally planned.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop trying to make the photograph you came for and start looking at the photograph that's actually in front of you.
The wreck of the Nornen beneath the last light of the day at Berrow Beach.
Looking back, the day turned out to be less about chasing a particular photograph and more about responding to what was in front of me. From the harsh midday light at Brean to the changing colours over Berrow in the evening, the conditions continually pushed me to look at the landscape differently.
And perhaps that's what I enjoyed most about the day. Whether you're visiting with a camera or simply coming to walk the beach and take in the Somerset coast, Brean and Berrow are wonderful places to spend some time. I'll certainly be returning — although next time, I'll once again let the light decide what I come home with.