Cromer pier from Overstrand, August 2026
Going back to the same place is one of the most common bits of advice in landscape photography, and it’s good advice. The trouble is the first visit can set an expectation of the place, good or bad. If my first visit to a spot was on a glorious misty morning with the tide just right, I start waiting for a repeat. Tide tables open, three weather apps checked, and the spot stays unvisited because the forecast says “not quite”.
I’ve caught myself doing this more than once. The first visit was magic, so every other visit has to measure up. It might be that it was on a workshop when it's harder to duck out, but of course it doesn’t measure up, so I stay at home, and the place gets a little less familiar each time.
But a place isn’t one picture. Flat grey light, a falling tide, a bit of drizzle: they all show you something different, and often something quieter that you’d never have noticed in the drama of a perfect morning. Some of my favourite frames came from days I almost abandoned.
So I’m trying to loosen my grip on the forecasts. Choose the place, go, and see what’s on offer. It’s the same idea as before really: F8, and be there. Again.
(This image is just that - a place I was introduced to on a workshop (One of Justin Minns) and have been back to a few times now.)
