Visit to Cornwall 2020
Cornwall is a feast for the eyes and the soul.
Find out more about my recent visit to Cornwall 2020 here...
We visit Cornwall every year with friends and stay in a campsite right next to the beach. This year however, things were a little different! Our usual campsite was closed due to the pandemic. Plus, our friends didn't fancy venturing away from home. So we decided to go it alone.
The plan was to book some self contained accommodation, take our own food and spend the days surfing on quiet beaches, avoiding people as much as possible. We decided not to visit our favourite town of St Ives as we knew it would be ridiculously busy but we weren't sure what the rest of Cornwall would be like.
If you're desperate to get away, like I was, then Cornwall is a great option. In spite of all the panic in the news about how busy it is, we found it fairly easy to avoid the crowds and have an amazing time.
There's lots of places to visit in the area, but as we were trying to be mindful of avoiding the crowds, we chose carefully. This is a very personal account based on our recent trip. Of course there will be lots of other places to visit that are quiet too! I've written them in the order in which we visited them - we had a week in the south with a caravan at Praa Sands and a week in a cottage near Wadebridge.
Here's a few places to visit if you want to get away from it all in Cornwall.
Praa Sands
Our first stop was, Praa Sands. We love the very south of Cornwall, the rugged beaches and blue turquoise waters are all absolutely fabulous. We booked a static caravan on a Hoeseasons site in Praa Sands. The site was perfect. It was quiet, close to the beach and with great facilities. We even managed to use the on site pool - which you could book in hourly slots, with a maximum of 6 people at a time, so we pretty much had it to ourselves. The bar was open and very quiet and we were able to sit outside and enjoy a pint of cider, whilst looking out at the ocean.
The beach at Praa Sands is a long stretch of golden sand, with crystal clear water. It was so quiet there but it also has lifeguards so we felt safe in the water. I'm not going lie - we found surfing there a bit tricky at times and not as easy as our usual beach at Gwithian. My daughters board nearly knocked me out at one point!
From Praa Sands, you can walk the South West coastal path - there's loads of fantastic walks to do and we enjoyed a 5 mile circular route along the coast. It was really quiet. We only saw a handful of people and enjoyed a picnic looking at the epic views (pretending to be waiting for Poldark - maybe that was just me).
Trelissick
We spent one afternoon mooching around the gorgeous National Trust property at Trelissick - you need to pre-book a slot online. The house isn't open at the moment but the gardens, cafe and shop are all open. It was very quiet when we visited (it was raining!).
Porthleven
Porthleven was our first foray into a busier location. There were quite a few people mooching around the pretty harbour, so we didn't stay long.
Kynance Cove
One of our favourite places in the area is Kynance Cove. It's simply stunning. Run by the National Trust, the sparkling turquoise waters make you feel like you're in Thailand (until you feel the temperature of the water!). The trick with Kynance Cover is to get there EARLY. Arrive by 9am and you should be able to park easily. It's also important to be aware of the tide times here as there's not much beach at high tide. We arrived as the tide was on it's way out, which was perfect timing as we knew we'd have a good few hours to play and relax there.
It was quiet when we first arrived on the beach and we had the sea to ourselves for a while but it quickly gets very busy there, with people streaming down the hillside all day long. We left in the early afternoon as we knew the tide was coming back in and it was getting busier and busier. There's a cafe, with outside seating and toilets too. There's a bit of a walk from the car park - with a few different routes. Some take longer than others but the views are amazing.
Gwithian beach
Gwithian is one of our favourite beaches as it's a brilliant place to surf and body board. The beach is massive so there's plenty of space to sit and not be near anyone. There's a National Trust car park at the far end of the beach but you need to get there early to get a space. There's also parking at The Rockpool Bar, which is next door to the National Trust car park. If you're looking for a tasty lunch or coffee and cake break, I can highly recommend the Hungry Horsebox on the beach.
Pedn Vounder
I'm a bit torn about whether to post information about this place or not because I know it's a 'hidden treasure' and those that know about it don't like the word spread. However, I'm an adventurer at heart and when I first discovered Pedn Vounder beach online I knew I HAD to go there. I read all about it for years before actually going. I was very worried about the dangers and made sure that we were very well prepared. This little beach is truly magical. It's tucked away at the bottom of a rocky hillside on the rugged Cornish coastline. The water is a million different shades of blue and green and so transparent. From above, it looks like you're in the Caribbean.
Before going to this beach, you must know these things. Firstly - check the tide times. There is NO BEACH there at high tide and you will get trapped if unprepared. Secondly, there are no life guards at this beach and dangerous rip currents. There's also no phone signal, so you'll need to be super duper careful in the water. Thirdly, although the walk from the car park at Treen is fairly easy, the final descent to the beach is tricky. The advice is to wear trainers and carry a rucksack, so that you have both hands free for the climb. Finally, it's a naturist beach, so be prepared for an eyeful. It was certainly an anatomy lesson for the kids!
One more thing - please respect the beauty of the area and take all your rubbish home. I'd hate to think that this post might encourage people to go and cause damage to this glorious spot.
If visiting this beach sounds like a pain in the backside then you can still visit the beautiful beach next door - Porthcurno which has easy access!
Port Isaac
We knew Port Isaac was going to be busy as it's the filming location for Doc Martin, so we planned to nip there for a quick look around before having dinner in nearby Port Gaverne. It wasn't too bad but we didn't hang around for long. We'd booked a table at the Port Gaverne Restaurant and it was only our second time eating indoors since March. They had great social distancing policies and, as we were the first people there for the dinner service, it was really quiet. The food was amazing too.
Porthcothan Bay
I'd spotted a picture of Porthcothan Bay on Instagram a few weeks before going to Cornwall, so I had it on my list as a place to visit. I'm so glad we did. It's a super pretty bay with gorgeous clear waters and loads of space to sit. The beach was quiet by Cornish standards and so we felt really safe. We ended up going there a few times to swim, surf and bodyboard. There are lifeguards there. There's also a lovely little café serving very tasty cakes and coffee (perfect after a couple of hours in the sea).
Wadebridge to Padstow on the Camel Trail
Every year when we visit Cornwall, we drive to Wadebridge and hire bikes so that we can cycle the Camel Trail to Padstow. There's a wonderful, flat, 5 mile cycle path with views over the estuary to Rock and Padstow. The bike hire places have changed their methods and make sure there's lots of social distancing and safety measures. We use Bridge Bike Hire. We took our own bike helmets (as advised) and the bikes were ready for us to collect when we arrived. The trail was much quieter this year and felt very safe. We stopped half way as usual for a cake / ice cream at the Atlantic Coast Express.
We were a bit worried that Padstow would be packed, so we'd planned to walk through and find a quiet place for a picnic. The town wasn't as busy as usual but there were still lots of people around. We walked through Padstow and headed out of town. There are great views over to Rock if you walk along the coast. We had our picnic looking out over the water. Having never been there, we decided to get the ferry across to Rock (masks and hand sanitizers at the ready) to have a look around. The beach was lovely. We had a drink at the sailing club before heading back to Padstow to get our bikes for the cycle home.
Lanhydrock
We booked a parking slot at the National Trust property of Lanhydrock and had the most glorious sunny day to explore the gorgeous gardens and woodlands there. The gardens, cycle paths and café are all open. The house and play area is closed. Once again it was pretty quiet, with plenty of space to sit and enjoy a picnic away from others. The café had very safe policies in place. They only allowed a few people in at a time to order food to take away or eat outside.
Polzeath
The town of Polzeath is just around the corner from Rock. We wanted to find a thick wetsuit for my son as he was freezing in his old thin wetsuit. We'd been advised to go to a wetsuit shop in Polzeath. Boy, it was BUSY! The car park was packed and the beach was rammed. We didn't spend very long there but managed to get a wetsuit! We then had lunch at The Pityme Inn which is part of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme. It was fabulous (the Vegan burger was amazing!). If you're planning on eating out, you'll most probably have to pre-book a day or two in advance. We weren't very good at thinking ahead and so lots of the places that we tried were fully booked.
Busier places...
Of course, there will be plenty of places in Cornwall that will be very very busy. It's probably best to avoid the big tourist towns like Bude, Newquay, Perranporth, Padstow and St Ives if you're looking for a quiet break.
But, if you venture a little off the beaten track, it's perfectly possible to find lovely quiet areas for a visit to Cornwall 2020.
I am a Cardiff family photographer, covering South Wales. I offer outdoor location family photo shoots and love the beach!
I'm fully booked for August and getting pretty booked up for September too, if you fancy an outdoor family photoshoot - get in touch.
Have a look at my portfolio and pricing pages.
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South Wales - Local Days Out
Easing out of lockdown - Local Days Out in South Wales
I don't know about you, but I'm finding the transition from lockdown to less of a lockdown a bit tricky. One minute I'm safely tucked up at home and the next minute, I can go shopping, play group sports and go out for dinner! The rules seem to be changing so quickly that I can't keep up.
Now that school is over (finally!), I've been thinking about local day trips that we can make as family, whilst still keeping to the current rules. As a Cardiff family photographer, I'm lucky to spend time with clients outside in lots of great locations, so I've got plenty of ideas!
I can't wait to get out and about and back to some of our favourite places.
So, here's my top 7 places that make great family local days out in South Wales - without the crowds.
7 Local Days Out in South Wales (in no particular order)
1. Dyffryn Gardens
This place is a firm family favourite. We've been National Trust members for a few years now and so we regularly visit Dyffryn Gardens for a family picnic and stroll around the gardens. At the moment, you'll need to pre-book an arrival slot online. It's very straightforward. There's a one way system to get in and out of the gardens and it's so spacious, that there's loads of room for families to sit and enjoy the space without going near anyone else.
The shop and toilets are now open, so you can buy an ice cream and enjoy the peaceful views. Some of the smaller gardens and the play areas are closed right now but there's still plenty of space and things to see.
Here's a picture of my two, in the rain, when we visited last week.
2. Porthcawl to Rest Bay
We do this a lot. We park at the quieter end of Porthcawl, usually in a residential street and then walk, scoot, skateboard or bike to Rest Bay. Once there, we'll enjoy a picnic or a swim in the sea. The lifeguards are now back on duty and more people are visiting the beach but as it's such a big space, there's plenty of room to find a quiet spot.
After the beach we normally head back to Porthcawl for an ice cream before going home. The shops and cafes are all now open and operating under social distancing rules. You can pop to Beales for some fish and chips or stop at one of the cafes on the esplanade for a coffee.
3. Three Cliffs Bay
The beaches in the Gower are some of my favourites in South Wales and this one is a stunner. We visited last weekend and it was glorious. There's a few different ways to get down to the beach. We found a random field, advertising parking and parked there but there's also official car parks, including one run by the National Trust. The beach is big and because it's not so straightforward to access, like it's neighbours, Langland Bay and Caswell Bay, it's quieter. Make sure you check the tides before you go though and be careful that you don't get cut off by one of the beach rivers that zig zag the bay. The walk from the car park is around a mile, so be prepared for a bit of a trek but it's worth it.
4. Margam Park
You can lose a day in Margam Park. There's so many different parts that it can keep you occupied for hours. It's another family favourite of ours but we haven't been so far this year yet. It's now open from 10am-4.30pm. The toilets and cafe are open but the children's play area, castle, train and gift shop remain closed. They are restricting visitor numbers so it shouldn't be crowded.
5. Southerndown beach
A bit closer to home for us but I couldn't complete this list without mentioning my favourite local beach - Southerndown (Dunraven Bay). At the moment, the main car park on the beach remains closed but the car park at the top of the hill is open (£6 for any time longer than an hour, you can pay via your phone).
Due to the difficult parking situation the beach remains quieter than it's neighbour Ogmore and so it's a better option if you're looking for a socially distanced day out. Please be careful around the cliffs though. I've seen lots of people sitting underneath the rocks at the base of the cliffs and it's super dangerous. Rocks fall off the cliffs and you don't want to be there when they do.
There's also some lovely walks in the area. You can walk along the cliffs in both directions - heading towards Ogmore one way or Llantwit Major in the other direction. There's plenty of room up on the cliffs for a quiet family picnic. Just keep away from the edge. Probably not the best choice if you have small children or dogs.
6. Hensol Forest
A little hidden gem in the Vale. The forest is big but we usually follow the same path when we visit. We park in the car park near Welsh St Donats and do a figure of 8 around the forest. There's usually a few dog walkers and families around but it's peaceful and quiet most of the time.
7. Bryngarw Country Park
With over a 100 acres of parkland, there's loads of room to explore the area without bumping into anyone else. There's a pay and display car park and toilets available. The children's play area and cafe remain closed in July, but may re-open in August.
It's a fabulous location for a family photo shoot too - especially in the Autumn time. I love this image taken there on an Autumn shoot.
Do you have any more suggestions of local days out to add to the list? I'd love to hear from you with family day out ideas that avoid the crowds!
If you fancy a family photo shoot, there's lots of great locations that we can use, off the beaten track.
Get in touch to book your outdoor family shoot. You can see more of my work in my portfolios or follow me on Instagram for more recent shoots!
Headshot photoshoot in Cowbridge
The start of the year is always a good time to think about refreshing your headshot. Admit it, it's on your 'to do list' right? I really enjoyed this headshot photoshoot in Cowbridge with Ceri in January.
To start the headshot photoshoot in Cowbridge we met at the fabulous Arboreal Kitchen for a coffee and a chat. We started the session indoors before heading outside.
There were so many different backgrounds to choose from in the lovely little market town. We really did get a great variety of images for Ceri. We took a stroll up the High Street and mooched around, spotting great doorways and colourful walls that we could use. Ceri needed some shots for her new business website and so she opted for two outfits so that she could have both informal and formal images as options.
All headshot photo sessions include a change of outfit and variety of different locations and backgrounds, so that clients have plenty of images to choose from.
"Thanks Gemma. A great experience, you come highly recommended." Ceri
To find out more about my business headshot packages - visit my business pricing page. You can see more of my commercial photography work in my Headshot and Commercial portfolio.
Follow my new business instagram account to see more!
In the meantime, check out Ceri's shoot below.
Gem x
JUNO Magazine Feature - Stop criticising yourself!
JUNO Magazine Feature Article
I've been a family photographer for over 14 years. I understand that it can sometimes be uncomfortable to put yourself in front of the camera. But, clients book shoots with me because they understand the importance of capturing a moment in time. Of freezing the fleeting moments of childhood, so that when life becomes less frantic, they can look back and remember. I want to capture the love in each family that I work with. Read my JUNO Magazine feature in the latest edition (out now!), to hear what I have to say to my hesitant or self critical clients...
"...freezing the fleeting moments of childhood, so that when life becomes less frantic, they can look back and remember."
You can buy copies of JUNO Magazine from WHSmiths, independent retailers and in their online shop.
Read my 'You are loved' feature on page 35!
"JUNO is a print and digital bi-monthly magazine which promotes a natural approach to family life and inspires and supports parents as they journey through the challenges of parenting. We have an ethos based on conscious parenting, sustainability, social justice, non-violence and a commitment to personal growth and spiritual awareness and share fresh perspectives in this fast-paced technological world, creating a non-judgemental community for those who are keen to follow “a natural approach to family life”."
If you'd like to see more of my work, you can visit my portfolio pages and follow me on Instagram.
Mini Beach Shoots 2020
MINI BEACH SHOOTS 2020
After the success of my mini beach shoots 2019, they are back in 2020 but with a few tweaks! The perfect gift for Mother's Day!
I very quickly realised that I can't do a shoot at the beach in 30 mins, so I've extended the time to an hour. I also discovered that to get the best combination of tide, weather and sunset times I can only do one shoot per day. This is all good news for my clients as sessions are now longer and more flexible. Hooray!
So, what's included in the Mini Beach Shoot package? Well, you have an hour long photo shoot at the beach, plus 5 prints and matching digital images for only £199! If you fall in love with the rest of the images (I will warn you that EVERYONE that had a shoot last year bought extra images, with most clients upgrading to the full digital package), there are upgrade packages available.
I'm only offering 10 slots (I ended up doing many more last year), as I need to make sure I've got time and weekend availability for all my family shoots too.
So, if you want one, be quick! You can book directly through the website.
See below for a small snippet of my beach fun from 2019. There's a real mixture of shoots, from a baking hot day to a crisp windy day. There was also a grandparents session, a maternity session and loads of gorgeous sunsets. If you want to see more, visit the blog, or check out my Instagram account.
BOOK NOW!
Gem x
