A Brighton favourite, and one of the south’s most photographed landmarks. Living in Brighton, and just a short walk from the sea, the opportunity to wander down and photograph this icon is often hard to pass up.
Classic shot
To get the classic shot, it’s best to position yourself between the last of the remaining supports, with the tide just about touching your toes. If the tide goes out beyond that you’ll start to get some ugly low-lying wreckage in your shot, too high and you’ll need to include the supports – and you’ll notice they don’t quite line up with the centre of the pier.
When the tide is higher, a popular alternative is to include the concrete groin to the pier’s left.
Seagulls
On an early morning photography trip to the beach with my wife Samantha, we focused on the seagulls and their behaviour during low tide. They were diving in to the shallow sea to pluck out the starfish. This led to an alternative take on the classic landmark.
Starlings
From November through March, and peaking in March, Brighton’s roosting starlings flock around Palace Pier (or Brighton Pier, if you prefer). From this vantage, in the evening, you can set their murmurations against the west pier.
