In the waves at Trevaunance Cove
With ocean photographer Nick Pumphrey
Trevaunance Cove isn’t your average Cornish beach. Wedged between cliffs and wrapped in village life, it’s alive from first light – with wild swimmers slipping into the sea, children paddling in the shallows and surfers carving their way through glassy morning sets.
We sent local photographer Nick Pumphrey to capture it all – above, below and within the waterline – for our latest Your Beach. Found takeover.
Nick is a Cornwall-based ocean and travel photographer, known for his ability to document nature, movement and mood in their most beautiful forms. Whether waist-deep in a winter swell or watching the sky shift from the cliffside, he captures a sense of place that goes beyond the frame.
“I love photography more than working with photography, if that makes any sense,” Nick tells us. “For whatever reason, I love to compose photos of the world as I see it. That’s number one.”
His approach is intuitive – flowing with the moment and letting life unfold naturally in front of the lens.
“Due to being pretty introverted, I like to capture stuff as it happens. I don’t really like to direct too much, rather just be the spectator with the camera, shoot into it… shoot into the energy of the moment.”
That energy was easy to find at Trevaunance Cove. Nick swam out at dawn with local wild swimmers, watched families take to the water and drifted through waves alongside surfers.
“Shooting at dawn is a very calm, quiet, beautiful time with forever changing light,” he says. “The great part about shooting the water is the challenge. That’s the best bit about it because there’s no script, you don’t know what’s coming up.”
That unpredictability is what keeps him coming back.
“You’ve just got to be there, floating around, watching it all and reacting to whatever will be. You’ve just got to flow with whatever comes your way. And so I feel that the challenge of water photography, or what would be seen as a challenge, is the greatest part – just the fact that you can’t control it. It’s really beautiful, actually, and refreshing, that you don’t have to bring any rules, apart from the rules of the camera.”
Nick was also joined by filmmaker and photographer Luke Pilbeam, who captured Nick’s process behind the lens and the effervescent atmosphere in and below the water.
Watch a morning in the water at Trevaunance Cove through Luke’s lens:
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Stay at Trevaunance Cove
Swim with the sunrise. Watch the tide roll in. Feel the beach rhythm of this soulful stretch of coast. Whether you’re floating in the waves or just watching them break, Trevaunance might just be your beach. Find sanctuary at Leeward House, our retreat up in the trees.
Your Beach. Found
From the feel of the sand underfoot to the anticipation as you near the sea, your beach is the one that stays with you. Find your beach with the Beach Match Quiz.
Beach Match Quiz