How better to end a project documenting Cornwall through infrared than with a sunset over Saint Michael's Mount? This iconic tidal island steeped in myth and legend, including the story of a giant named Cormoran who lived there and hoarded his wealth before being killed by a farmer's son, "Jack the Giant Killer". As far back as 500AD, Saint Michael is said to have appeared to fishermen to guide them to safety on the island. The mount was home to an early monastery and chapel, and the castle was built in the 12th Century. In 1659 the island became home to the St Aubyn family, who have remained there for generations.
The mount itself is a popular tourist destination, and tours are regularly conducted around the castle and gardens. To get there, you must either walk across the granite causeway at low tide, or take a boat at high tide.
Knowing that a lovely sunset was coming, I rushed over to Marazion to set up my camera. I wish I had set up a little further south so the sun was setting closer to the mount itself, but I didn't have time as the light was disappearing quickly.
These photos were all taken with the 720nm filter. I had tried using the 590nm built-in filter in the hope of capturing the warmth of the sunset, but these images came out far too orange. Using the next filter up allowed me to reduce the shutter speed and capture more subdued colours. This meant that the subtle shades of light passing through the clouds could flourish and not disappear into the bright orange sky. The soft, warm tones rippling through the sky and the sea evoke an ethereal atmosphere, worthy of a place so rich in legend as Saint Michael's Mount. The silhouette of the castle against the milky sky shrouds the mount in mystery, and the small puffs of smoke in the final image inject life and intrigue into the image. What is it like to live in the castle?
The first image is one I took for my Instagram account - another "behind-the-scenes" look into this body of work. This was taken with a standard DSLR and really shows the difference between the two techniques. In the background you can see a variety of colours in the sunset, colours which are lost in the infrared images. However, instead of losing something, I feel these images gain an awe and wonder beyond that of a standard sunset. It allows us to appreciate the way the light plays with the shadow without hindrance of colour. It is a new light, a new perspective for us to view the world with.
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