Three Cliffs Bay is one of the most photographed spots in the Gower, and it's easy to see why. The three limestone peaks that give the bay its name rise up behind a curve of sand and river and from almost any angle you get that mix of drama and softness that makes for a truly memorable maternity session.
We've photographed here a few times and no two sessions have looked the same.
On the clifftop
For one announcement session, we'd planned to shoot down on the beach first thing in the morning but the weather had other ideas. Rain coming in sideways meant a change of plan, so instead we set up on the clifftop overlooking the bay, with all three peaks laid out behind our client in the afternoon light. It turned out to be one of our favourite changes of plan we've made. The wide open view across the bay gives a real sense of scale and it meant we didn't lose the session to the weather.
On the beach
For a maternity session, we walked down to the beach itself and shot at a different angle, right at golden hour with the peaks rising up behind from a completely different perspective. Being down at sea level changes everything, the light bounces differently off the sand and water and there's an intimacy to being right in among the landscape rather than looking down on it.
What to know before you book here
Three Cliffs Bay is stunning but it isn't the easiest location to shoot at. The walk down to the beach is long and it's beautiful, but it is a proper walk, not a stroll. The return climb back up is the harder part and it can be tiring even when you're not carrying a bump.
Because of this, for maternity sessions we now tend to shoot from the campsite on top of the cliff, with permission, rather than heading all the way down. You still get those incredible views across the bay and the peaks, without the long walk. It's a small change that's made a big difference for comfort, particularly later in pregnancy.
If you do want the beach itself, it's absolutely possible and worth it for the shots you can only get from down there, we just plan for the walk and build in plenty of time.
When to shoot
Golden hour works beautifully here, whichever spot you choose but as our own session proved, sometimes the weather makes the decision for you. Having a flexible plan, clifftop or beach, morning or evening, means a session here rarely has to be cancelled outright.
If a maternity session at Three Cliffs Bay, or somewhere else in South Wales, sounds like the kind of experience you're after, [take a look at what a session with us actually looks like →]