Most photographers are drawn to London for a good reason; it’s one of the best and most diverse cities in Europe. As well as being a photography playground, London is also a travel hub, and a mere hour on the train can get you to one of the best spots in the UK for photography, hiking, relaxing, and even going to the beach. I’m talking about the wonderful city of Brighton. In this blog, I will share what I think is a perfect weekend away in this famous British seaside town.

Why Brighton

Brighton is located on the south coast with a direct train link from Cambridge, London, Gatwick Airport, and many other places. Unlike many British seaside towns, Brighton has a lot going on year round. Meaning whether you visit in June or January, you will have a great time. As well as the town, you have a very long coastline where you can swim or even surf. Last but not least, you have Seven Sisters cliffs down the road. An incredible beauty spot with plenty of hikes and amazing sea views.

How To Get Here

By far the easiest way is to take a train from London; however, there are frequent coaches running from airports and Central London. There’s an express train service from Victoria Station too, however, it’s a little more expensive.

Best Time To Visit

I’ve visited in all seasons and in total spent more than a month in the city. In my opinion, mid-spring is a wonderful time. You will often get good weather, pleasant temperatures, and not many crowds. In the summer, Brighton gets overrun with tourists and day-trippers, making it pretty unbearable during peak times. In the winter, the weather can be very unpredictable and unpleasant. Another reason to visit in the spring (or autumn) is for the chance to see Brighton in the fog, which is pretty spectacular.

Where / How Long To Stay

For most people, a weekend is enough time to explore at a leisurely pace, especially during the warmer months when you have longer days. Assuming you have two full days (from sunrise to sunset), one day is devoted to the city, while the other is for exploring the Seven Sisters. While Brighton has many hotels, my personal favourite was the Q Suits Aparthotel located right in the city centre. It’s a hotel where you can book anything from a studio to a full apartment. The location is 10/10.

Photography

Brighton is one of my favourite places to shoot. It’s full of colour, character, and since it’s not too big, you can easily work the same location for an hour or so before moving on. When it comes to light, it’s great year-round; however, autumn and spring are my personal favourites. Moving on to gear, I found a general 24-70mm to be the best lens for the city. There were plenty of times when I needed to shoot wider to get the whole scene in. Other times, going for tighter shots helped create more abstract photos. If I had to pick just one focal length, I’d go for 35mm. Attitudes to photography are very relaxed, and most people have no issues with photos at all.

Other Useful Info

Brighton is very easy to navigate by foot, and the local bus network is plentiful and pretty reliable. In the city, there is a visitor centre that is worth popping into. It will help you to get the most out of your stay. You can find bus routes, maps, and help. Overall, Brighton is pretty safe, and just like any other tourist hub, you need to watch for pickpockets and opportunistic thieves. During the day, I never felt any danger or risk; however, in the evenings, there were quite a few drunk people as well as drug users in the streets. While we never once felt at risk, it’s something to keep in mind. Almost everywhere accepts cards; however, keep a little cash on you just in case you run into a market.

Day 1 - Brighton City

While Brighton is pretty big, for photography I would focus on three key areas. The Lanes is a small area with a collection of narrow streets located 5 minutes from the beach. Depending on the time of year you visit, you will find that in the mornings the light is fantastic, and it floods the streets creating plenty of photo opportunities. Later on in the day, you can go for more abstract shots.

The second area is the beachfront. The beachfront runs for a very long distance, and having walked it countless times, I found the best photo opportunities to be between the colourful huts (as you approach Hove), and the giant fitness centre about 10 minutes to the other side of the pier (heading towards Seven Sisters). This stretch will take you around 20-30 minutes to walk, and I spent an entire morning walking up and down. There is so much to see and shoot there, that I’m certain you can spend an entire day doing this walk, and end up with great photos.

The third spot is the Pier. I found myself going there every day and while you can end up taking similar shots, I always managed to find new and unique photos that I didn’t see previously. The pier needs to be visited at all times of the day, and in all weather conditions. In the morning you get beautiful soft light and a bit of haze. Middle of the day gives you strong contrast and the perfect light for abstract photos. Sunset gives you strong golden light that floods all parts of the pier. At night you get amazing blue hour, all the lights from the attractions, and if you’re lucky, the birds will put on a show too.

During my stay, I found myself rotating between these three areas throughout the day to ensure I get the best light. This also resulted in a selection of different photos.

Day 2 - Seven Sisters

If you happen to have another day in Brighton, I would suggest leaving the town and heading towards Seven Sisters. Many people come a long way to see these cliffs, so if you’re already in the area, it’s a must in my opinion, assuming the weather is good. If the weather isn’t good, I would rather stay in Brighton. I’ve visited Seven Sisters in all weather conditions, and I can safely say that it’s miserable unless you have a good day.

There are two ways to get there. You can walk there, or get one of many buses running from Brighton. My suggestion is to do a mix of both. The first half I would walk because it’s a wonderful seaside walk. Then get the bus to the start of Seven Sisters to skip the boring parts.

I would start at the Pier and walk towards Brighton Marina. From there you will find a path that hugs the sea and you will be walking under the cliffs. In total you will be walking for 1-2 hours until you reach Rottingdean. Here you will find a pub, café, and toilets. Keep going until you reach the beginning of Peacehaven. This is where I suggest grabbing a bus to Cuckmere Inn Pub. When you get there, follow the river to the sea, but keep the tide in mind. If it’s low, you can cross to the other side. If it’s high, you’d need to walk back to the road and cross there.

From this point you can chill on the beach and soak in the views, or start hiking up the first cliff and see how far you get. The bus runs in parallel to the cliffs, so if at any point you get tired, you can always grab the bus.