Beyond being my job, Seascape Photography is my passion and I thrive when shooting on wild and remote tidelines.  Because here, the photography comes with an exciting adrenaline rush.  For the ocean presents a dynamic, visual element that piques the senses and stirs the soul.  

That's why, when I moved to Cornwall in 2013, I set up Cornish Seascape Workshops.  Unique, one-to-one residential photography courses that offer enthusiasts of all levels, the chance to join in my coastal adventures.  To discover enlightening new aspects of the Seascape craft, and hone their camera and post processing skills on some of the finest coastline in the world.  

The perfect Seascape destination

The West Cornwall peninsular boasts an unparalleled array of magnificent coastline.  From towering cliffs to wide golden beaches, hidden coves to hushed estuaries, the diversity is spectacular.  So when you add the majesty of the Atlantic Ocean; the superb 'Atlantic' light; the stunning coastal geology; and the fact the sun's rise and set can be shot just a few miles apart.  Then providing you know when and where to go, you have the perfect Seascape destination. 

Based in Crantock on the Atlantic Coast, the workshop's range extends from Trebarwith Strand down to Land's End and back up to Polkerris.  In matching your aspirations and comfort levels to the prevailing conditions, I will guide you to a variety of remarkable locations.  Many that are well off the beaten track and rarely shot.

Glorious isolation

Creative inspiration abounds on a deserted shoreline as breathtaking optics transition in the viewfinder.  There's a wonderful sense of oneness with your surroundings when composing and capturing such beautiful imagery in glorious isolation.  

This is why I host one-to-one courses.  Because a group of any size compromises such freedom and dilutes the experience.  On this course, you are free to roam and express yourself.  It's just about you, me, your camera and the sea.

All-Inclusive and hassle free

Because there's so much to see, shoot and cover off, the workshop is based around a stay of between two to five days.  Way beyond the limited locations and restricted learning opportunities of a guided day trip, you immerse yourself in your photography for your chosen number of days.  Giving you the time to relax, let everything sink in and really enjoy yourself.  

Plus there's no hassle.  The all-inclusive package covers your en-suite accommodation, food and workshop transport.  You can simply concentrate on taking your photography to a whole new level.

The workshop ethos

Beyond the static outlook of a land-locked landscape, the ocean adds an ever-changing visual dimension to a coastal vista.  As such, Seascape Photography has many more moving parts than the Landscape discipline.  Complex elemental dynamics that require deeper understanding and consideration if their interplay is going to be successfully interpreted and captured.  

So my course will introduce you to reading the sea's moods, patterns and states.  You will gain a hands-on understanding of seasonal and atmospheric influences, and learn how to predict, conduct and compose around the sea's seemingly random actions.  Importantly, you will discover how to use a range of specialist Apps to help in making ideal location choices based around safe and successful shoot planning. 

Every dawn and dusk will see us at another superb location - with additional daytime shoots in between.  Down in the littoral - the shoreline span between high and low tide - the elements are in a constant state of flow and flux.  Meaning you have to keep things real and capture images 'in camera'.  Because software-supported dodges like bracketing and stacking don't work here because the optics and light values change with every rushing wave.  So I will show you how to manipulate your light using Manual settings to express different visual emotions, and how filtering (and maybe even a considered burst of flash) will transform your captures.  

Your Cornish Seascape Workshop options

Experience, age & comfort levels?

Because it's one-to-one, the workshop readily adapts to all experience, age or fitness levels.  Currently my most senior client is a sprightly 85 year old who has been down twice (and was delighted to have a workshop image accepted into the London Salon of Photography after 35 years of trying). 

Four season availability

Because the seasons play such an influential role in coastal atmospherics, I run courses all year round.  I want to offer the complete Seascape Photography experience, so you can choose when to visit.  This has proved very attractive and many clients return time and again to shoot through the seasonal evolutions.  Matching their timing with their growing Seascape skill-set.

Here's an overview of the seasonal range you may want to consider...

Spring  

A time of regeneration with vivid colours, brightening skies and lengthening days.  As the sunlight strengthens, the cliffs become carpeted with flowers and the Atlantic takes on bright turquoise hues.  Yet there's always the chance of a low pressure front setting the big waves free.

Summer

Long, sultry days and vibrant sunrise and sunsets abound at this time.  This is usually the easiest season to photograph in terms of shoot conditions.  So if you are new to Seascapes, this is the ideal time to learn.  Yet early starts and late returns make two or three days the ideal stay duration.

Autumn

The golden time of richly mellowed atmospherics, plus the increasing chance of some big wave action.  Temperatures may be chilling down but the shortening days make for easier set-out and return times, so you can indulge yourself.  Yet this is my busiest season, so book early!

Winter

The stormy season of glowering light, big seas and tempestuous atmospherics.  The chilled golden hours extend with the low sun and 'Wild Cornwall' is at its brooding best.  Ideal for diversifying Pro's and seasoned 'Seascapers' seeking rewarding challenges and plenty of studio time.

You and your workshop

The focus of this course is solely on your enjoyment and reward.  Therefore, after the initial shoot, I will take my cameras along.  From then on I will remain close enough to keep an eye on the sea, point out evolving aspects and maybe offer a few setting or filtering tips.  However, it's for you to capture Cornwall as you see it.  

Likewise, back in the studio, I will give you the tools and workflow to process superb images.  Yet their final expression is for you to conjure.  This way you create a body of work that reflects your personal take on the beautiful Cornish coast through your new-found Seascape skills and understanding. 

What to bring

During the booking process we will confirm where you currently are with your photography.   Based on this I will recommend what gear to bring along.  Yet as a guide I would suggest ;

• Mirrorless/DSLR Camera - with Manual setting, Raw file capability and a spotless sensor!   • Wide Angle Zoom (eg 16-35mm)  • Telephoto Lens (eg 100-400mm)  • 100mm Filter Holder & Lens Adaptor Rings*  • Flash Gun  • Tripod  • Back Pack   • Waterproof Jacket & Over-trousers  • Wellingtons** • Walking Boots  • Note Book  • Portable Flash/Thumb Drive

* I have an extensive collection of Lee Filters you can welcomely borrow on a 'scratch it, replace it' basis.

** Chest Waders open-up the littoral so you are welcome to borrow a pair and give them a try.

Additional information

TRAVEL - Newquay Train Station and Newquay Airport (NQY) are just a few miles away and your pick-up and drop-off can readily be arranged.  If you're arriving by car there is ample parking.

ACCOMMODATION & FOOD - Food menus are based on your preferences and all dietary requirements can be catered to.  The main guest double bedroom has en-suite facilities plus TV, Radio and Tea/Coffee making.  The second guest bedroom has a single bed with bathroom/WC.  PLEASE NOTE THE ACCOMMODATION, STUDIO AND CAR ARE NO SMOKING AREAS

CAMERA & EQUIPMENT HIRE - I have complete Full Frame DSLR Camera set-up with 16-35mm Wide Angle, 24mm Tilt-Shift and 70-200mm Telephoto lenses, plus Tripod, Filters and Flash Gun for hire.  Please contact me for details and prices.

CONTACT -  For further information or to make a booking, please contact me by email - chris@c-simmonsphoto.co.uk  or phone - 01637 831251 - International callers please call +441637 831251 

'As ever, superb!'

Dear Chris,

Beyond the incredible photography which was, as ever, superb, with your skill and finesse, you have single-handedly changed my life.  After some particularly challenging times, I arrived in Cornwall with a deflated spirit.  Yet I returned home mentally invigorated.  Finally, peace of mind and serenity have settled my soul.

So my Cornwall plan came to fruition and did what I could only hope for! With a few emotional moments in conjunction with the wonderful hikes to extraordinary coves, I truly found a haven! 

You and Sam really rolled out the proverbial red carpet. Your hospitality, ability in tantalising my tastebuds with your succulent meals, unwavering support and love hadn’t gone unnoticed. I can’t thank you enough! I have the highest level of love and respect for you both. 

Chris, you are the quintessential Seascape photographer! Under your guidance, I have heightened my artistic ability ten-fold.  I’m honored to have you as my photography mentor and a friend.

Respectfully,

Claudette Devereaux - Long Beach, Ca, USA

"...they get better and better!"

"I have just returned from a three day Cornish Seascape Workshop with Chris. This is my third time doing his course and they just get better and better! When I first considered attending a photography workshop, it was because I was seeking to improve my skills. 

However, I was put off by the prospect of being part of a group. I felt I wasn’t going to do so well in such a situation. I then spotted Chris’s advert in Outdoor Photography Magazine and on seeing that he provided one to one courses, decided to get in touch. It was the best thing I have done, not only because Chris's workshops are amazing and I continue to learn so much, but also because they are great fun and I have made a friend for life!

Chris is a very skilled photographer and I’ve learnt so much about the technicalities of composing and creating great seascape images. However, for me, the most valuable thing Chris has helped nurture in me, is the ability to emerse myself in the beauty and drama of each location. Then to be able to create images that capture the essence of what I was seeing and feeling at the time. Chris’s incredible passion for the beauty of the Cornish coastline is so infectious and inspiring.

Another part of the workshop experience is going back to the studio where Chris helps you review your images and to process them using Photoshop. Chris is hugely encouraging and patient, and teaches in a relaxed and guiding way that is ideally suited for me. The great thing is, there's not a set workflow that simply repeats, instead he promotes treating every image individually. 

As for the location shoots, he develops an itinerary that best suits your needs, realising that every client is different.

Lastly, the workshop includes lovely accommodation and great food and Chris is also an amazing chef!

I will end by saying that if you are considering attending a worksop, then why not get in touch with Chris and have a chat? It could be the best thing you have done."

Steve Hammond - Surrey, UK

"Brilliant!"

"Dear Chris, what can I say?..

Brilliant Accommodation! 

Brilliant Food!

Brilliant Company! 

Brilliant Locations!

Brilliant Teacher/Guru!

Brilliant Studio Work and App Tips!

Brilliant Processing, Printing and Framing Lessons!

Brilliant banter about Indian food and your new favourite Masala Tea!!

... and to top it all,

I came to Cornwall for 3 days and returned with two new friends!

With your help and guidance I have become a more mature photographer. I have acquired new Seascape skills and learned from you - Camera Craft, Raw Processing using Photoshop, Camera Raw and Bridge which I will be able to use and develop across all my Photography.

So obviously I will be coming back for more later this year.

Best wishes to you and the lovely Sam,

Regards,

Yogi

PS. Don’t worry, I will be writing a Google review, but it's difficult to find the words to adequately describe just what an amazing time I have experienced!!"

Yogi Patel - London, UK

A local's perspective

"Hi Chris,

Thank you so much for the seascape workshop, I'm still buzzing from just how much I've learned!

You said to me before I booked that you would help to "transform my photography", which I took with a pinch of salt to be honest, as I had hit a brick wall in many aspects and was feeling frustrated. But you certainly did transform it! I got my head around using Manual settings and I'm a thousand times more confident with processing raw files through Photoshop and I'm finally over that brick wall!

From the warm welcome I received upon coming to your lovely home, to the stunning home-cooked food, and being taken out to amazing locations, I loved every moment of the workshop (and will be returning for another!). 

Thank you,"

Chris Fletcher - Cornwall, UK

"A fabulous springboard"

"Hi Chris,

We just wanted to thank you for such a wonderful workshop.  We had an absolutely brilliant time and now feel much more confident in our ability to capture decent seascape images.

We really liked the way you demystified the whole process for us.  Your approach was both pragmatic and practical and you have an engaging personal style which enables you to get your points across really well.  We really appreciated the fact that you discussed potential locations with us before the workshop and as a result we went to some ‘world class’, yet readily accessible locations to shoot the sunrises and sunsets.

We also liked the fact that you were flexible with the workshop content and tailored it to our level of experience.  As Lightroom users, we found the studio sessions absolutely invaluable as you introduced us to the benefits of using Camera Raw and Photoshop to edit our images.

Thanks for the advice on which filters we should buy; however we haven’t splashed out on chest waders... YET!

We enjoyed the fact that you base the workshop at your lovely home and the meals you cooked were absolutely delicious.  It was so handy and let us completely immerse ourselves in the photography.

So in conclusion Chris, your Cornish Seascape Workshop exceeded our high expectations and gave us a fabulous springboard to dramatically improve the quality of our image taking and processing.

With our very best wishes"

Mark & Angela Howard - Hampshire, UK

"You have taken my photography to another level"

"Hi Chris

First and foremost, a big thank you to yourself and Sam for being such great hosts during my stay with you.  On meeting you I immediately felt relaxed in your company as you put me at my ease and welcomed me into your lovely home. Great company and great food!  Thank you both. 

I have three significant take-aways from your amazing workshop experience: well researched knowledge of sites is essential; Photoshop is not so scary after all; and don’t assume that a nice walk with your camera will turn in good shots. They don’t come to you, you have to get properly prepared and go out there and get them.

There's no doubt Cornwall provides plenty of opportunity for Seascape photography. However knowing the great locations to go to experience the best opportunities for extraordinary light and drama within a two day window - even if it does mean getting up at 3.00am - can only come with your exceptional local knowledge. 

As I think I said while with you last week, your incredible workshop opened up the magic and power of Photoshop to me.  My 'go to' post processing tool has always been Lightroom.  PS was always a scary step too far and anyway, what could it do that the LR grad filter and clarity and saturation sliders couldn’t?.. Well how wrong could I be!  By following your simple work flow, I learned how to turn the acceptable into the exceptional, and I now have the confidence to further broaden my knowledge of this amazing programme. 

Of course, even Photoshop needs an image that is at least 80% there in terms of composition, light and colour, and here your guidance on filters, camera settings, positioning and composition was invaluable - and thank you for the loan of the filters and the chest waders!

I may not be at competition winning standard, and in fact that's not my goal, but you have taken my photography to another level and I'm really excited about putting all the lessons of these two intense yet fantastic days into practice.

So again thanks for exceeding all my expectations of this Seascape course.  I will keep in touch and maybe take advantage of a further session with you either in the autumn or winter months.  Until then I have a lot of practice to do, and a lot of old photos to re-visit in PS! 

My very best wishes to you both.

Regards"

George George - Berkshire, UK

"I am a much more enlightened and capable photographer"

"Good morning Chris, 

I just wanted to say thanks a million for a fantastic couple of days. I really enjoyed the workshop experience, the tuition, welcoming hospitality and the great food, but most of all, a really good time!

You took me to some cracking locations and gave just the right amount of guidance when needed.  I have been on courses where the leader might have well been taking the picture themselves ('do this', 'do that') but your style is very comfortable and it was easy for me to understand what I should be looking to achieve.  I don’t think I will ever shoot in more challenging conditions and the waders were a revelation, but I have learned a huge amount.  Not only about techniques, but also composition and how to get the best from the coastal conditions.

Thanks to you and Sam for welcoming me into your lovely home and for the five star treatment. Your B&B/residential concept works really well and I felt totally relaxed and very much at home. 

The time in the studio was invaluable and my working knowledge of Photoshop has increased immeasurably. Some really top notch advice on how to refine a photograph without impacting on its integrity.

You have a real talent Chris and a passion for what you do. You clearly love the Cornish coast and the enthusiasm you have for it can only rub off on people like me.  I'm really looking forward to processing more of my images over the next few days and will send you some. 

Overall, I feel I am a much more enlightened and capable photographer than the one I was when I turned up on Tuesday. I will definitely be back in the winter to shoot seascapes in totally different conditions. 

Cheers"

Garry MacDonald - Birmingham, UK

"Exceeded my expectations in every way"

"What a fantastic couple of days seeing and photographing some truly spectacular Cornish coastline!

I booked this 2-day 1:1 workshop with Chris after seeing his Cornish Seascape Workshop advert in Outdoor Photography and visiting his website.  I took a look at his photography, read about his workshop and decided this could be for me.  I am a reasonable accomplished photographer but didn't have significant seascape  experience and wanted to give it a try.

I am delighted to say that the trip exceeded expectations in every way!

Chris is an experienced professional who now focuses on seascapes - his knowledge of both the discipline and the topic is bottomless.  As is his understanding of the Cornish coastline.  He knew the best places to visit for sunrise and sunset shoots and how to get the best from the opportunities that the weather conditions presented.  In his studio, he showed me the way to get the best from my shots using Camera Raw and Photoshop, something I had been wary of until now and the results were excellent!

He can accommodate 1 or 2 people in his COVID aware home and looks after all the details so well...meals, snacks, transport, briefings, the best locations based on sun and tides - everything.

I arrived at lunchtime and was immediately put at ease by Chris - nothing was too much trouble and he has a very easy going approach. He clearly just wanted me to: a) get some great seascape shots (tick) and: b) have a relaxing and enjoyable time (tick).

I would recommend this workshop for anyone interested in Seascape photography - I know most of his clients return and I am sure I will be one of them!"

Tom Bird - Surrey, UK

"Excellent!"

"Chris, 

I want to thank you for one of the best photographic workshops I have ever attended.

Over the past 25 years I have been on many photo courses run by professional photographers around the world and in the UK.  These covered a wide range of disciplines - Landscape, Nature, Safari, Portrait, Wildlife etc. Yet your Seascape workshop stands out by far from any one of them. 

Let me elaborate a little more as I know feedback is important to you.  Firstly, it is rare to find a course that offers accommodation, food and transport and all you provided was simply excellent.  I was free to relax and enjoy my time concentrating on the photography.  Which leads to the most important aspect of all, your expert instruction.  I cannot express just how invaluable the in-depth insight and one-to-one format was to the overall learning experience.  While informal and relaxed, my five days were superbly organised, totally stimulating and above all, educational. 

The morning spent at 'Dinosaur Egg Cove' was a true inspiration.  I learned so much about the behaviour of the sea and now really understand the effects of tide, flow, cloud, currents, time and most importantly the light on capturing it’s “mood”.  Besides this, I also learned about varying manual settings to get different results from the same composition, and here your use of flash came as  total inspiration.  Excellent! I also appreciated you sharing your wide selection of filters and learning how, when and which ones were best to use.  All this made such a difference to my final images, that were indeed “captured in camera” as you impressed on me. 

Then we come to post processing, and what can I say? In truth, the time I spent in your studio has transformed my photography.  Again, the one-to-one aspect was ideal and I learned so much.  I really do now fully appreciate just how effective processing raw files through Photoshop CC is.  Until now, I always used Lightroom, yet the fine art workflow you have created is so intuitive and comprehensive, and as for the results, well my Cornwall pictures are quite simply, magical! 

I sincerely believe you should make your presence more visible to the wider photographic community. Because anyone who wants to improve their photography needs to get to know you and your Seascape workshop.

It has truly been a pleasure to spend those five days with you and Sam.  I'm hoping you take up my invitation of coming to Chicago and spending time with me and Melissa."

Kishore Karamchandani MD, MRCP - Chicago, Il, USA

"THE best..."

"Dear Chris,

Just a quick note to say 'DANKE' for a most terrifically good time. 

I learnt such a lot and will now be able to continue with Camera Raw and Photoshop, so I will be looking toward getting it downloaded very soon.  You have opened a new door in photography for me - I am thrilled! 

Thank you again for your generously given help, it was THE best course I have ever attended!

Best wishes,"

Marlis Rawlins - Wiltshire, UK

Contact Me

Please feel free to call me or email to find out more and have a chat about your questions or individual requirements ;

Email: chris@c-simmonsphoto.co.uk

Telephone; 01637 831251  - for International callers - +44 1637 831251