Yana Skakun
Leigh-on-Sea · SS9 · Thames Estuary · Essex
Photographer Leigh-on-Sea
Natural wedding, family and portrait photography in Leigh-on-Sea — outdoor sessions in Old Leigh fishing village, on the Thames Estuary shore and at the dramatic Hadleigh Castle ruins.
Book a SessionPhotography in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Leigh-on-Sea is one of Essex's most distinctive and characterful towns — Old Leigh at the base of the hill retains its character as a proper working fishing village (the cockle sheds are genuine, the boats are real and the whelk trade is ongoing), while the Victorian hill town above has become one of the most desirable residential areas on the Thames Estuary. The combination of the extraordinary Old Leigh waterfront, the two-mile stretch of beaches from Leigh to Chalkwell and the Hadleigh Castle ruins above the hill give Leigh an outstanding range of portrait settings within a very compact area.
The light across the Thames Estuary is famously beautiful — the painters of the Leigh and Southend area compared it to the light of the Dutch coast (the estuary is, in effect, the English equivalent of the Zuider Zee). Two Tree Island nature reserve and Hadleigh Country Park extend the range of available portrait settings well beyond the beach. I photograph families, couples, weddings and elopements in Leigh-on-Sea and across South Essex — Southend, Westcliff, Basildon, Benfleet and the broader Essex coast. I travel across the east of England for weddings and portrait sessions throughout the year.
Photography Services
Wedding Photography
Documentary wedding coverage for Leigh-on-Sea and South Essex — Chalkwell Hall for civil ceremonies, the historic Old Leigh setting for intimate outdoor ceremonies, Hadleigh Castle as a dramatic backdrop and the many beautiful Essex countryside and coastal venues.
Family Portraits
Natural outdoor family sessions in Old Leigh (the cockle sheds and high street above the water), on Chalkwell and Leigh beaches, on Two Tree Island nature reserve and at Hadleigh Country Park above the castle ruins.
Couple & Engagement
Engagement sessions on the Old Leigh waterfront at golden hour, looking across the estuary to the Kent hills, at Hadleigh Castle ruins — the subject of Constable's most celebrated oil painting — and along the atmospheric Two Tree Island shoreline.
Elopement Photography
Intimate elopement photography for Two Tree Island and the estuary shore — the rare and atmospheric quality of the Thames estuary light, the huge skies and the working maritime character of Old Leigh create beautiful and distinctive elopement settings.
Portrait Photography
Individual portrait sessions in charming Old Leigh village, on the mudflat and estuary shores, at Hadleigh Castle Country Park and along the Foreshore to Chalkwell Beach — a wide variety of accessible coast and countryside settings within Leigh.
Newborn Photography
In-home lifestyle newborn sessions in Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea and the surrounding south Essex area.
Leigh-on-Sea Photography Locations
Old Leigh Fishing Village
The historic fishing village of Old Leigh below the hill — the famous cockle sheds and seafood stalls, the working boat yard (one of the few remaining on the Thames), the ancient High Street of weatherboard houses and pubs and the panoramic views across the estuary to the Isle of Grain and Canvey Island make Old Leigh one of Essex's most atmospheric and characterful portrait settings.
Thames Estuary Shore — Leigh & Chalkwell Beaches
The broad sandy beaches stretching west from Old Leigh to Chalkwell — the extraordinary quality of estuary light, the huge Kent-and-Essex skies and the traditional beach huts create excellent family and couple portrait settings, particularly in the golden hour looking south across the water.
Two Tree Island Nature Reserve
The unusual Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserve on a reclaimed silt island west of Leigh — reached by a causeway, with extensive reed beds, extensive bird life, salt marsh and panoramic estuary views across the Ray and the Leigh marshes.
Hadleigh Castle Ruins (English Heritage)
The substantial 13th-century castle ruins at Hadleigh Hill — famous nationally as the subject of John Constable's celebrated 1829 oil painting (now in the Yale Center for British Art). The romantic ruins on the hillside with estuary views are an outstanding portrait and engagement session location.
Hadleigh Country Park & Farm
The large Country Park and 2012 Olympic Mountain Bike venue at Hadleigh — the hill slopes, woodland and meadows above the castle give panoramic views and varied portrait settings, while the working Hadleigh Farm (Salvation Army) below provides rural character and interest.
Get in Touch
Book a Photography Session in Leigh-on-Sea
Get in touch for weddings, family portraits and elopements in Leigh-on-Sea and across South Essex.