Gunwalloe at Night
One night in March 2024, I headed out under starlight with the aim of capturing some astrophotography. At the time, it was quite early in what is known as the Milky Way season, which is often what draws photographers out into the chilly night air. That said, this was only a small part of my focus, with my attention fixed on the glittering night sky as a whole. To find the perfect vantage point, I visited Gunwalloe (Church Cove) on the Lizard Peninsula. This was a location I had visited several times during the day beforehand; however, I had not quite achieved what I wanted to. For this shoot, I planned ahead to when the sea would be at the perfect stage between mid and low tide, unveiling some really striking rock formations to use as foreground elements.
The focal point for this shot, I found a series of rocks extending from the shore, resembling a miniature onyx mountain range heading out to sea. Positioning my camera, I set a 20-second exposure, allowing the water plenty of time to filter around the rocks. Creating an almost mist-like quality, the lapsed movement of the sea really adds to this sense of clouds whirling around jagged peaks. Of course, above this dreamlike scene on the shore is the even more spellbinding vision of the night sky. Studded with countless glistening star clusters and the faint tail end of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, this incredible cosmic scene really exudes a sense of mysticism and scale that’s quite hard to comprehend. With the juxtaposition of the silken sea and sawtooth rocks topped with the star-filled sky, it’s a beautiful capture that really pulls you in no matter how many times you’ve seen it.
One night in March 2024, I headed out under starlight with the aim of capturing some astrophotography. At the time, it was quite early in what is known as the Milky Way season, which is often what draws photographers out into the chilly night air. That said, this was only a small part of my focus, with my attention fixed on the glittering night sky as a whole. To find the perfect vantage point, I visited Gunwalloe (Church Cove) on the Lizard Peninsula. This was a location I had visited several times during the day beforehand; however, I had not quite achieved what I wanted to. For this shoot, I planned ahead to when the sea would be at the perfect stage between mid and low tide, unveiling some really striking rock formations to use as foreground elements.
The focal point for this shot, I found a series of rocks extending from the shore, resembling a miniature onyx mountain range heading out to sea. Positioning my camera, I set a 20-second exposure, allowing the water plenty of time to filter around the rocks. Creating an almost mist-like quality, the lapsed movement of the sea really adds to this sense of clouds whirling around jagged peaks. Of course, above this dreamlike scene on the shore is the even more spellbinding vision of the night sky. Studded with countless glistening star clusters and the faint tail end of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, this incredible cosmic scene really exudes a sense of mysticism and scale that’s quite hard to comprehend. With the juxtaposition of the silken sea and sawtooth rocks topped with the star-filled sky, it’s a beautiful capture that really pulls you in no matter how many times you’ve seen it.
One night in March 2024, I headed out under starlight with the aim of capturing some astrophotography. At the time, it was quite early in what is known as the Milky Way season, which is often what draws photographers out into the chilly night air. That said, this was only a small part of my focus, with my attention fixed on the glittering night sky as a whole. To find the perfect vantage point, I visited Gunwalloe (Church Cove) on the Lizard Peninsula. This was a location I had visited several times during the day beforehand; however, I had not quite achieved what I wanted to. For this shoot, I planned ahead to when the sea would be at the perfect stage between mid and low tide, unveiling some really striking rock formations to use as foreground elements.
The focal point for this shot, I found a series of rocks extending from the shore, resembling a miniature onyx mountain range heading out to sea. Positioning my camera, I set a 20-second exposure, allowing the water plenty of time to filter around the rocks. Creating an almost mist-like quality, the lapsed movement of the sea really adds to this sense of clouds whirling around jagged peaks. Of course, above this dreamlike scene on the shore is the even more spellbinding vision of the night sky. Studded with countless glistening star clusters and the faint tail end of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, this incredible cosmic scene really exudes a sense of mysticism and scale that’s quite hard to comprehend. With the juxtaposition of the silken sea and sawtooth rocks topped with the star-filled sky, it’s a beautiful capture that really pulls you in no matter how many times you’ve seen it.