Day 1:

Sunset - Rhossili Beach. We were treated to the presence of the iconic ponies dotted around the coast and a sunset that started strong but dwindled somewhat as it dipped below Worm Head. Still, when the light was playing ball there were compositions to be found on the beach and the headland. I couldn’t resist a phone shot of this pony who was perfectly positioned. Dinner was at the marvellous Ship Inn in nearby Port Eynon.

Day 2:

Morning - Due to the mizzling rain we took a slight detour to the waterfall region of the Brecon Beacons and visited Sgwd Clun-Gwyn waterfall. I always think you have to have a backup plan when the weather doesn’t live up to expectations and when it’s raining there is nowhere better than a waterfall on the cusp of Autumn. The Four Waterfalls walk is a rather long excursion but thankfully I know of a few little shortcuts. After popped for lunch to the rather lovely ‘Charlie’s Cafe’ after a detour to B&Q for some emergency electrical tape to fix Mike’s ailing camera (hopefully he’ll be able to treat himself to a nice, shiny new camera soon!)

Afternoon: Nash Point - We spent a good couple of hours exploring the wonderful geological formations of Nash Point as well as the lighthouse. The incoming tide made for some interesting compositions, and the grey, overcast mood suited monochrome processing.

Dunraven Bay - After Nash Point we wandered along the coast to Dunraven Bay which has both a castle with some extraordinary walled gardens, some ruins and of course, more of the wonderfully shaped cliff faces. The light threatened to break through for half an hour but decided against it.

Porthcawl Lighthouse - Our final stop took us to Porthcawl, which becomes a magnet for seascape photographers whenever a storm is rolling through. The weather was more grey than stormy, but I find there to be ample opportunity for foreground in the rocks just off shore from the lighthouse. There was no hope of a sunset as the weather closed it, so back to the Mumbles for some well deserved nosh!

Day 3:

Sunrise - Bracelet Bay. Despite the weather forecast being less than optimistic, there was little cloud around on Friday morning. We got down to the bay early to catch those lovely pre-dawn hues and were treated to a rather delightful sunrise, catching on some low cloud and contrails above Mumbles Head and the lighthouse. The incoming tide made for some impressive ‘swooshery’ in the water.

Late Morning/Afternoon: After checking out of the hotel we set off for one of my favourite locations; Three Cliffs Bay. The tide was out and after the mile walk from the carpark we were treated to the expansive sands and intriguing rock formations. The sun broke through the cotton wool clouds above and there was plenty of inspiration to be found on the shoreline and above on the headland. After a couple of hours everyone was ready for an ice cream and a coffee at the local shop before heading home.

A lovely end to a marvellous few days.

If you’d like to join me on some of my upcoming tours, have a gander here - https://www.lightandland.co.uk/photography-tour-tutors/view/verity-milligan. 

Verity Milligan