St Micheal’s Mount

A landscape photography guide to this fairytale floating island castle floating out in Mount’s Bay; a perfect location for sunrise or sunset.

What Is It

The castle of St Michael’s Mount is one of Cornwall’s most iconic landscape photography locations and for good reason. Set in an almost fairy-tale setting, this imposing castle sits perched atop an island out at sea seemingly floating and yet tethered to the mainland by a stone causeway.

Its a truly magnificent subject and a must shoot location when in South Cornwall.

What to Shoot

There are several great locations from which to shoot St Michael’s Mount, each providing unique photographic opportunity regardless of the tide.

The Causeway

Comprised of large rounded granite boulders, the causeway leads out from Marazion beach to the castle’s walls. Using the causeway as a leading line to the Mount is the iconic composition.

Near to Marazion, the causeway is straight and a little less appealing. The best position is past the rocky outcrop of Chapel Rock, here the causeway takes a more pleasing sweeping arc toward the island.

The causeway is best shot low with a wide angle lens to enhance the causeway’s sweep whilst keeping the castle and surrounding seascape in frame.

The Jetty

If your visiting on a high tide, the causeway will be totally lost to the sea and not a viable composition.

Then the jetty, known as Orange Landing, provides a great leading line. Whilst it’s not having eye-candy quality the causeway provides, it’s right angles and zig-zag half way along it’s length have a certain charm.

Sunrise strikes the castle of St Michael’s Mount from the jetty

Red River

Heading further out of Marazion, going toward Penzance, is the outlet for the Red River.

Here water spills out into Mount’s Bay, and the sandy shoreline of the river provides some nice lead in opportunities for simpler long exposures.

It is a perfect backup location to visit if the tide heights for the causeway or the jetty are too high, or they are undergoing repairs.

The sand here is constantly shaped and reshaped by the volume of water in the river and the height and force of the tides, so the sandbars are never the same shape twice.

After a storm or heavy rain it might best be avoided, as the beach can be littered in driftwood and kelp cluttering up the frame and detracting from that 'clean beach’ look.

Sunrise at high tide from the mouth of Red River

The Beach

It easy to obsess about tide height when shooting St Michael’s Mount as it heavily impacts access and composition to the causeway and jetty.

At low tide, the causeway isn’t that photogenic, nor is the jetty as there’s too much visual clutter with the surrounding rocks. Mount’s Bay itself though is definitely worth consideration at low tide.

It’s very flat, and without too many defining features, but it does reflect the sky well, and if your lucky to find some pools or rivulets cuased by the retreating tide, these can make for excellent subject.

Sunrise reflects in the pools and sand at low tide in Mount’s Bay

When To Shoot

Best Season

St Michael’s Mount can be photographed year round.

The Winter months definitely offer the better chances for dramatic light in the sky. Though, I’ve shot in the height of summer and still had great colour; it’s always worth a visit.

Best Time Of Day

St Micheal’s Mount is both a sunrise and sunset location.

To have the sun strike and light up the castle, aim to shoot between March and July when the sun rises over Marazion and sets over Penzance. The rest of the year the sun rises and sets behind the castle, so there’s no chance of sidelight on the island from the shore.

Tide Times

The Causeway

For the causeway, aim to visit with a falling mid tide. Here the causeway will emerge little by little, and tide isn’t high enough as to push you back toward the beach where the straighter section of the causeway starts to enter composition.

Orange Jetty

For the jetty, this is best shot shortly after a high tide to ensure the water covers the rocky beach the jetty sits upon. At spring tides a high tide will put the jetty fully underwater often up to the steps to the mainland, making the jetty a no go location.

Red River

Completely unaffected by the tides, the Red River mouth can be shot regardless of tide height.

How To Get There

St Michael’s Mount is off the shore of Marazion. Head to post code TR17 0EN, there are several car parks along the beach.

Causeway

The Mount is instantly viewable out in the bay as is the causeway. There are several points where you can drop down to the beach to access it.

Jetty

Slightly tricker to get too as high tides cut off beach access. Walk along Market Place in Marazion. Look out for a small alley opposite the Kings’ Arms Pub signposted as Orange Landing, this leads to the steps down to the jetty.

Red River

Located just beside the Long Stay Car Park in Marazion,

View location in Google Earth

Difficulty

Rated 1 / 5

Marazion beach is flat and easy to access from the town, as is the jetty. This really is a park and shoot location.

Crowd Factor

High

St Micheal’s Mount is a honey location and chances of meeting other photographer’s are high. Throw in the beach and tourists visiting the castle, it’s unlikely you’ll have the place to yourself. Sunrise is the better option here for relative quiet and that chance to have the castle to yourself.

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