north kent coast Archives - Stewart Mckeown Photography

Jul 25

by stew in field report, location guide, Uncategorized 0 comments tags: kent, landscape, location, north kent coast, photography, whitstable

Whitstable, West Beach

A taste of the sort of photos available at this beautiful location on North Kent coast at Whitstable, West Beach. To the west of Whitstable’s harbour is a long shingle beach known as West Beach which is as good a spot as anywhere on the North Kent coast for photography. Popular with the crowds during the day, this north westerly facing location comes into it’s own especially during a summer sunset when most people will be out of the way chilling on the beach with a beer from the Old Neptune pub. There are many subjects to shoot here but my favourite are the wildflowers that grow in the shingle and sprout out in between the various boats and kayaks left on the beach. To the far end of the beach are a row of colourful wooden beach huts. Some of these have an extravagant paint job, like this hut below which I framed in the centre of my panoramic. Near these huts is an old jetty that requires a very well-timed visit to capture the tide at the desired height. Add planning around sunset into the mix and you’ve got a recipe for a lot of failed trips..! Thanks […]

Mar 19

by stew in location guide 0 comments tags: herne bay, kent, north kent coast

Herne Bay Location Guide

Herne Bay is a seaside town on the North Kent coast which has a lot to offer the photographer and all within a tight area. In this guide I have compiled my favourite views in and around Herne Bay to shoot, I live nearby so it has become a go-to spot for me when the light is right. This is in no way exhaustive as I have a few more angles on my to-do list also! Herne Bay Pier Herne Bay used to have the second longest pier in the country before storms collapsed the central section in 1978, leaving the pier head isolated out to sea. This only makes the view of the pier leading towards the detached head in the distance all the more interesting and unique in my opinion though. The pier can be shot well from either side depending on the direction of the light. For example, during the Summer it can be effective to shoot the setting sun in between the pillars of the pier; just be careful of standing too long in the mud. That stuff is treacherous! Pier Head The detached pier head can make for an ideal subject in its own right. […]

Aug 30

by stew in location guide 0 comments tags: herne bay, kent, location guide, north kent coast, photography, reculver

Reculver Location Guide

Welcome to my photography location guide for Reculver on the North Kent coast. Located a few miles away from Herne Bay, Reculver is a very small village consisting of a pub, a new coffee shop and a few hundred holiday caravans. For us photographers though the iconic twin towers of the medieval church built on the site of an early Roman fort will be the main purpose for a visit. I live in nearby Canterbury and have thousands of images taken here; it must be my most visited location. The Reculver Towers dominate the skyline for miles and so naturally they will also dominate this guide although they are other things to shoot here as you’ll see. I have split this guide into 3 sections; front of the towers, behind the towers and the other things to shoot. Front The front face of the towers can be best photographed from down on the beach. Walk westerly along the sea wall from the car park and you’ll find the small slope down onto the beach in front of the sandstone cliffs. Access is available to this section under the cliffs even at high tide but to get out […]