What to photograph in Brighton?

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Sam Trevor

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Hi people,

Going to Brighton this week, never been.
Does anybody know of any good places to photograph.

thanks
sam:wave:
 
When you get there you'll wonder why you asked the question - you'll be running out of time before you run out of things to photograph. Great for street photography.
 
As Zoe says, not enough time :)

Brighton Pier, West Pier, Pavilion, North Lanes, Beach Market, Seafront Shops, Marina etc etc

the list is pretty much enless :)
 
sunrise, sunset, just along the front are some boats as a permenant feature


underneath the pier
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nightime
92257485.jpg


Then there's the pavillion, the park, street photography
 
Starlings roost on the old pier in the evenings, you might be a bit late but its an awesome sight.
 
I'm probably too late for your weekend but for anyone else there's an aquarium on the beachfront which is very photographer friendly.
 
As you arrive in to Brighton via the A23 you will go past a big council building called the Pavillion - it looks like an Indian palace. That's very nice :) As you arrive at the sea if you take a left and drive along the sea front for a while (with the sea on your right) you will get to Brighton Marina. There are lots of commercial fishing boats and private sailing boats all jammed up together there which might be nice to shoot as well as the harbour wall. Going back to the main pier you have the pier itself, a small fun fair, and lots of arches which have clubs built in to them. If you keep going with your sea on your left you will go past the old pier which burnt down and eventually get to Hove where you have the lagoon which is like a man made pond they teach windsurfing on. At that end you have some beach huts you can take pics of and also down that end is where the wind surfing and kite sailing all happens.

In addition to all of this you have 'the lanes'. This is the area where you have lots of boutique shops as wel as normal shops - lots of lovely curvey little roads on a hill - i think some might even be cobbled.

Brighton has the biggest night life outside of london if you measure that by the number of nightclubs. So, night street photography might present some opportunities.

Hope that helps - haven't been down there in ages.
 
ZoZo said:
When you get there you'll wonder why you asked the question - you'll be running out of time before you run out of things to photograph. Great for street photography.
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This.

I live in, and love, Brighton. There's the usual stuff to snap like the piers, pavillion, beachfront, Brighton rock shops etc. If you can, take the time to wander along the North Laines (Bond St, Kensington St, Sydney St), there are loads of great characters and indipendant shops down there (although the rent price is slowly driving them out, but that's a whole other rant!). There's also some amazing graffiti on building site boards round the lower/East/car entrance to the station. I could go on for ages! Is there anything in particular you are interested in photographing, e.g. architecture, street portraits, wildlife etc?
 
menthel said:
Chips, seagulls and grime. I hate Brighton! Go for a nice walk on the downs instead.
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Can you recommend specific places to go on the downs please?
 
I am afraid I don't really know it all that well but get on the seven sisters path and there are a lot of great views. I know more around box hill and dorking tbh.
 
menthel said:
I am afraid I don't really know it all that well but get on the seven sisters path and there are a lot of great views. I know more around box hill and dorking tbh.
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I am MUCH closer to box hill and dorking than Brighton :) Could you help me to pin point some places worth going to for taking Landscape pictures?
 
dubcat said:
I am MUCH closer to box hill and dorking than Brighton :) Could you help me to pin point some places worth going to for taking Landscape pictures?
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The top of box hill is good but high. If you go round the back way where the stairs are there are some nice views over the river and surrounding woods. Also try popping to the NT visitors centre and looking at the signposted walks. There are some good 'reveals' on those! Also denby's the vinyard has a public right of ways across it and could set up a good photo or two, as would the river and common just a little further up the a24 towards London. It's a nice area. Then again outside of Crawley are some great bits of countryside, especially around rusper and on the old Horsham road!
 
dubcat said:
I am MUCH closer to box hill and dorking than Brighton :) Could you help me to pin point some places worth going to for taking Landscape pictures?
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Try Devils Dyke for some landscape pictures...
 
i know its a long time after you must've gone down, but i recomend it when the sun is low, you can get awesome shots with silhouettes of the old pier/new pier, the architecture and the night life is second to none, a sunday morning can be interesting, get there early enough and you catch alot of activity as people get chucked out the clubs (from experience). hope it all went well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonesh23/
 
Byker28i said:
sunrise, sunset, just along the front are some boats as a permenant feature


underneath the pier
92257495.jpg


nightime
92257485.jpg


Then there's the pavillion, the park, street photography
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Hey man, how did you get to the underneath of the pier and where is it?
 
dubcat said:
Can you recommend specific places to go on the downs please?
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Ditchling beacon, Seven sisters country park/cuckmere valley would be good starting points.
 
pfkeegan said:
Hey man, how did you get to the underneath of the pier and where is it?
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First, this thread (apart from this post and the two preceding) is 7 1/2 years old....

To get to the viewpoint for the underneath the pier photo you simply walked along the lower front. Past tense, as the Eyesore 360 aka Doughnut-on-a-stick* now occupies the site, all else having been cleared away.

* The official name is the British Airways I360; a massive observation lounge that moves up and down a giant pole and only occasionally gets stuck.
 
StephenM said:
First, this thread (apart from this post and the two preceding) is 7 1/2 years old....

To get to the viewpoint for the underneath the pier photo you simply walked along the lower front. Past tense, as the Eyesore 360 aka Doughnut-on-a-stick* now occupies the site, all else having been cleared away.

* The official name is the British Airways I360; a massive observation lounge that moves up and down a giant pole and only occasionally gets stuck.
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Hahah thanks man. 7.5 years old , time flies.
 
pfkeegan said:
Hahah thanks man. 7.5 years old , time flies.
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LOL - must admit I've not been there for a while, not since 2013. But same as always, early hours walk about and see what you find. Places are always changing, record them now

Just looked, under the pier was taken on 27th Jan 2008 :D
 
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Byker28i said:
LOL - must admit I've not been there for a while, not since 2013. But same as always, early hours walk about and see what you find. Places are always changing, record them now

Just looked, under the pier was taken on 27th Jan 2008 :D
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True; since you were last down, developers have closed down the oldest shop still in use (until they forced it out) to construct a new entrance to a still being developed shopping centre. The Victorian arches along the front are now closed off as unsafe. Brighton values its architectural heritage highly... It was only a sneaky move by the owners of the Grand that prevented its being compulsory purchased and demolished as being out of keeping with the Kingswest Centre apparently - the owners got it listed to stymie the council.
 
My sister lives in Brighton..........

Great things to photograph for:

The Pavilion (but will be great if it is night time - beautiful lights to photograph)
Both piers - including the ruins of West Pier
Regent Architecture
Street photography - Brighton is the capital of "gay" people, but you might see many "weirdos" dress, hairdo etc - so might be great for street photography
Seagulls if you are into birds
Eating chips - if you are into food photogeaphy
Brighton Lanes - as mentioned above postings
 
My son lives in Brighton. The main thing to look out for is the high parking charges not the scenery , As a kid I have fished off West Pier
 
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I have happy childhood memories of Brighton, but no wish to spoil them.
 
Or later....

Light with gull DSC03048.JPG

Palace pier DSC03063.JPG
 
Raymond Lin said:
Nothing here anyone suggests....so you don't end up photographs like everyone else.

Just photograph what you think looks good.
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No disrespect to the OP or other contributors, but it's a common 'habit' amongst photographers to be happy to recreate images others have shot. More like 'painting by numbers' than anything actually creative.

And I'd love to think I was above that but I sometimes fear some of my best work is only a derivation of something I've seen before. :(
 
Phil V said:
No disrespect to the OP or other contributors, but it's a common 'habit' amongst photographers to be happy to recreate images others have shot. More like 'painting by numbers' than anything actually creative.

And I'd love to think I was above that but I sometimes fear some of my best work is only a derivation of something I've seen before. :(
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I don't think there is anything wrong to imitate as almost everything is a copy these days and if you can imitate a classic and pull it off then that shows some skill. Even better if you can put a twist on it to make it your own.

I do it too but I prefer not to be told or I won't ask where to photograph as we all have our own idea of beauty. I would just wonder around and look for your own, Brighton is a busy and vibrant place, there will be no shortage of photo opportunities.
 
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Phil V said:
No disrespect to the OP or other contributors, but it's a common 'habit' amongst photographers to be happy to recreate images others have shot. More like 'painting by numbers' than anything actually creative.

And I'd love to think I was above that but I sometimes fear some of my best work is only a derivation of something I've seen before. :(
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It's ok to be influenced, but not direct copies. Even better if you reference the image that influenced you.
 
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