CHARLESTOWN LOCK GATE
Charlestown is a historic Cornish industrial harbour, made famous in recent years for being the filming location of the BBC series Poldark. I spent time there in the summer, looking to capture the place from lesser documented angles than those that attract the tourists.
Walking along the road that runs above the harbour, I chose this angle to capture the inner and outer harbours at high tide, with the coastline bending and curving its way into the distance. The concrete harbour walls and pedestrian walkway over the lock create horizontal lines across the shot, adding depth and segmenting the water into three elements.
The inner harbour is continuously topped up and fed water via a sluice system. Using my neutral density filter, I was able to capture the white water feathering out into the inner harbour, and it helps to draw the eyes across the scene.
While the concrete structures and vivid red floats highlight the manmade features, there is a good balance with nature. The setting sun hitting the tree tops diverts the focus to the lush green coastline surrounding the port. The golden sunlight contrasts nicely with the dark waters of the harbour, sheltered in the cove as evening sets in.
Charlestown Lock Gate is a Cornish landscape portrait full of detail. From modern to historic, natural to industrial, it captures the essence of a place that has continued to develop and adapt to the passing of time.
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Certificate of Authenticity
Charlestown Lock Gate is a fine art landscape photograph with a limited run of 100 prints.
A Certificate of Authenticity will be supplied with every print after it has passed the Tide & Land quality check, numbered and signed.
Tide & Land photography prints are not massed produced, but are hand made to order, guaranteeing the best quality with every print.