Fine Art Landscape Photography Blackpool

Fine Art Landscape Photography Blackpool – Fine art photography in Blackpool is all about finding beauty in the urban seaside landscape. Blackpool’s wide sandy beaches, vivid illuminations, and the iconic Blackpool Tower make for dramatic compositions. As a fine-art photographer, I look for sweeping lines, long horizons, and subtle light that turn everyday scenes into art. In Blackpool and nearby Lytham St Annes, there are classic and unexpected subjects, from Victorian piers and promenades the old Lytham jetty – all bathed in golden-hour light or stormy moods. One of my favourite images (above) captures the broad beach and Tower under a pastel sky. This blog shares tips on the best shooting times, tidal planning, local history, and gear to help you create moody long exposures and crisp sunset shots along this Lancashire coast.

In this video, I attempt to create Fine Art Landscape Pictures at 3 different locations in one day. It took me 3 attempts but…

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Best Times of Day to Photograph

Coastal photography shines at sunrise or sunset, when the low sun bathes sand and sea in warm, glowing tones. In Blackpool, the sun sets over the Irish Sea, so the western horizon fills with colour in the evening golden hour. Early morning can also be magical, with quiet beaches and calm water reflections. Stormy days with dramatic clouds can add mood and contrast, perfect for black-and-white conversions or silhouettes of piers and groynes. I often plan shoots during the “magic hour” (roughly 30–60 minutes after sunrise or before sunset) because the side-lit textures on sand ripples and Victorian structures pop with detail. Even the modest overcast skies in late afternoon can yield brooding, cinematic images if you underexpose slightly and bring out the shadows. Remember that the best light moves quickly; I scout locations in advance so I can set up and focus during those brief windows. With a stable tripod and ND filters, golden-hour long exposures can turn rolling waves into smooth glass and capture silky cloud streaks across the sky.

Fine Art Landscape Photography Blackpool

Checking Tide Heights for Composition

Beach landscapes change dramatically with the tide. Blackpool’s massive expanse of beach practically vanishes at high tide, so the foreground elements and reflections you compose depend on tide height. Check tide charts before heading out. Blackpool Council notes that Blackpool is “a tidal resort which means the tide comes to the promenade steps”, blocking beach access at peak tide. In practice, you have about three hours around low tide to explore the shore (roughly 3 hours before and after low tide). Low tide exposes miles of wet sand, which reflects the sky and adds texture; it also reveals groynes, tidal pools, and long leading lines that make powerful compositions. For dramatic long exposures with visible foreground (like blackened groynes stretching into the sea), I plan to shoot around low tide. High tide eliminates most sand but can work for close-ups of wave motion against the piers or night shots of illuminated buildings reflecting in the water. Whatever the tide, safety is paramount; don’t set up gear where incoming waves can reach you! Checking an app like My Tide Times or the local tide tables keeps you in the right spot at the right hour.

Fine Art Landscape Photography Blackpool

History of Blackpool

Blackpool’s history as a resort is surprisingly recent. Until the late 1700s, it was just a tiny hamlet with few houses. Sea bathing for health became popular in the 18th century, and visitors began arriving by the 1770s. By 1781, a few hotels were already built for tourists, and the steam train finally arrived in 1846. The railway transformed Blackpool overnight: workers from Lancashire’s industrial towns flooded in for day trips and holidays. Through the 19th century, Blackpool grew rapidly. Historian Cortney McLaughlin notes that by the end of that century, “Blackpool grew in size from a small town to a major seaside resort” complete with three Victorian piers and the looming Blackpool Tower. The famous Blackpool Tower itself was completed in 1894, modelled on Paris’s Eiffel Tower and offering panoramic views of sunset over the sea. All that Victorian infrastructure still defines the skyline, the tower, the piers, the long promenades, offering photographers bold shapes and strong horizons to work with. Today, Blackpool remains known for family entertainment and illuminations, but I find fine-art potential in its gritty seafront contrasts.

History of Lytham St Annes

Lytham St Annes is two towns joined together: older Lytham and the Victorian planned town of St Annes-on-the-Sea. Lytham itself was already a small fishing village by the 17th century, but St Annes was “founded as a new seaside resort in the 1870s on open land”. The first lots were sold in 1875, and the new town grew quickly with elegant villas, hotels, and gardens. In 1922, the two towns were administratively merged as Lytham St Annes. Architecturally, St Annes is known for its grid layout and grandiose buildings (the old St Annes Hotel, Church, Library) that front the estuary. By contrast, historic Lytham retains a quaint old square and fields. Both towns share the Fylde Coast’s breezy climate, coastal dunes, and marshes along the Ribble estuary. For photography, that means quieter beaches (no illuminations here) and features like the old Lytham windmill on Lytham Green, the stone promenade at St Annes, and the broad estuary views with Warton Bank across the water. This heritage gives each town a distinct character: Blackpool’s wild energy vs. St Annes’s genteel grace. Capturing them requires both planning (for light and tide) and appreciation of their history – two things I bring to every shoot here.

Blackpool Piers History

Blackpool has three historic piers jutting into the sea, each with its own charm. North Pier, opened in 1863, is the oldest and longest of the three. It was originally designed by Eugenius Birch as a genteel promenade pier for orchestra concerts and family walks. By contrast, Central Pier (opened 1868) and South Pier (opened 1893) were built for fun: they later added carousels, arcades and, in Central’s case, a big Ferris wheel. These piers are classic Victorian engineering, cast-iron columns and wood decking, and they rise on the horizon like gigantic wharfs. They survived decades of storms and fires to remain key landmarks. Today, they frame beach shots beautifully: your photo can balance the long leading line of the pier structure against sweeping skies or still water.

Image: Central Pier and Ferris wheel (seen from the promenade) are focal points for fine-art photos.

In this video, I discover my landscape photography happy place – Blackpool is a place I am comfortable photographing time and time again!

Lytham St Annes Pier History

Lytham St Annes also has its pier story. Lytham Pier (in Lytham proper) was opened in 1865. It stretched over 900 feet into the Ribble estuary and had a grand pavilion. Unfortunately, storm damage in 1903 (two boats crashed into it) and a fire in 1928 ruined much of it. It closed shortly before World War II and was demolished in 1960. Only the entrance kiosks and piles remain at low tide to hint at its length.

Meanwhile, St Annes Pier opened in 1885 as a graceful promenade pier at the end of St Annes-on-the-Sea. Designed by Alfred Dowson, it was originally 914 feet long with a Moorish pavilion and a large Floral Hall added in 1910. Fires in the 1970s and ’80s destroyed much of the end, so the pier is now only 600 feet long. Its remaining Tudor-style entrance and iron balustrades still offer a sense of seaside romance. For photographers, St Annes Pier on a calm morning can yield beautiful reflections in the estuary. It also makes a fine silhouette against pastel dawn skies. By knowing these histories, I often frame my shots to echo the decay or grandeur, such as placing the old pier foundations in the foreground with the intact shore buildings behind.

Photography Tips and Gear Recommendations

To capture fine-art landscapes on the Fylde Coast, the right gear is important. I recommend:

Camera & Lenses: Full-frame mirrorless or DSLR for high resolution. (I use a Nikon Z8.) A fast wide-angle zoom (14–30mm) covers sweeping seascapes, while a 24–120mm gives more reach for distant objects. A telephoto (70–200mm) can isolate details like distant waves hitting rocks or architectural details on the piers.
Tripod: A sturdy tripod (e.g. I use an Ifootage Gazelle) is essential for long exposures and low light. A fluid or ball head keeps the camera stable even when high winds sweep the promenade. Use leg spikes or flat feet as needed on sand or concrete to prevent sinking.
Filters: Strong neutral density (ND) filters let you lengthen shutter speeds. I carry 6-stop and 10-stop square NDs (NiSi brand) for in-camera motion blur. A graduated ND filter helps balance bright skies and darker foregrounds on sunrise or sunset shots. I also use a circular polariser to cut reflections on wet sand or glassy water.
Remote Shutter & Settings: A cable release or wireless remote lets you trigger the shutter without touching the camera, avoiding shake. (My kit includes a wireless remote) Mirror lock-up or a 2-second self-timer are also good safeguards. Shoot in RAW for maximum detail and dynamic range.
Accessories: Spare batteries (cold seas wind down batteries faster), memory cards, and protective rain covers for equipment are crucial. Always have a cleaning cloth ready, sea spray and sand can foul lenses quickly.

In terms of technique, compose thoughtfully. Use foreground interest and leading lines to draw the eye. Apply the rule of thirds to place the horizon or pier. Shoot multiple exposures (bracketing) if the dynamic range is high, and blend in post-processing if needed. Pay attention to details like footprints, trash, or people; a 30-second exposure at dawn can even erase walkers from the scene if you time it right. Finally, shoot lots of images; the best fine-art shots often come from subtle shifts in timing and perspective.

Golden Hour, Long Exposures, and Moody Coastal Scenes

Fine-art landscapes often rely on light and mood. Golden hour (sunrise/sunset) gives you the richest colours. Position the camera so the sun lights the scene at an angle, creating long shadows and depth. Backlighting a pier at sunrise can silhouette its structure against the sky. I set exposures for the highlights (using manual mode and your camera’s histogram) and let the shadows go deep for dramatic effect.

For long exposures, use your 6- to 10-stop filters and a slow shutter. Depending on light, exposures of 0.5–5 seconds will blur gentle waves; exposures of 10–30 seconds can smooth even lively surf into a glassy sea. This technique makes clouds streak and water glow, ideal for a soft, painterly look. A still rock or groyne then pops crisply against the blurred water. If it’s very bright, I experiment with smaller apertures (f/16–f/22) plus ND filters, and make sure my ISO is as low as possible.

To capture moody scenes, I actually welcome dull weather. Heavy clouds and calm water can create a minimalist, monochrome feel. In post-processing, I often convert stormy skies to black and white, lifting the texture of cloud layers. (One good tip: keep a little information in the shadows to maintain depth.) If there’s a break in the clouds, even a hint of colour on the horizon can add drama. On these gloomy days, I watch for small shafts of light on wet sand or storm-tossed water. Sometimes the most haunting images come just as a rain squall passes, with muted light reflecting off the piers.

Tip: A stormy sky can actually be a photographer’s friend. Dramatic weather conditions and large crashing waves. High contrast clouds “offer the chance of most colour” in sunsets. So don’t cancel a shoot just because it’s dark; some of my favourite shots in Blackpool were taken when sunny horizons broke through heavy clouds.

Conclusion

Fine art landscape photography on the Fylde coast rewards patience, planning and creativity. By shooting at the right time of day, watching the tide, and using the gear above, you can transform Blackpool and Lytham St Annes scenes into gallery-quality images. I encourage you to get out there: watch a sunrise over the Tower, explore the piers at dusk, or photograph the empty beach at low tide. If you’ve found these tips helpful, please share your photos or comment below. I love seeing how other photographers capture this coastline. You might also follow me on social media or subscribe to my newsletter for more tutorials and workshop announcements. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced shooter, the Lancashire coast has endless inspiration for fine-art photography.

EXTRA – Thornton-Cleveleys Landscape Photography

Gary Gough
Professional Photographer | West Yorkshire
www.garygoughphotography.co.uk

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