The coast is a landscape of edges where the land meets the sea and the sea meets the sky. It is ever changing, revealed and obscured by the movements of the tide and affected by the raw elements of the weather. It is a place in constant flux, dominated by big skies and dramatic light. Put all of these factors into the mix and it’s understandable why coastlines around the world are such popular places for landscape photography.
The coastal landscape is essentially a very simple one, comprised of the land, the sea and the sky, each with an important part to play in the picture-making process. The land element, which forms the foreground interest in many images, can take many forms depending on your viewpoint. It may be sand, pebbles or rocks when photographed close to the sea. Alternatively, it may be a headland, sea stack or flower-strewn cliff top – even a coastal village, harbour or lighthouse. Any one of these features can be utilised either as the main subject or as a ...