Glastonbury Tor with the rising sun visible through the tower’s archway. The orange light hitting the left face is light pollution from the town (you can also see light pollution lighting the clouds in the bottom left slightly). The white light hitting the right side of the tower is moonlight. I made this picture on a clear (and very cold) evening when the moon was full. This movement creates trails, mapping the movement of the stars through the night sky. During this time the earth’s movement causes the position of the stars to change, turning anti-clockwise around the pole star. They are achieved by allowing the camera to expose the picture over a length of time – in this case 1 hour and 20 minutes. The circular lines in the sky are called star trails. The answer is that I spent a lot of time planning and trying out ideas before settling on a composition that would show St Michael’s tower appearing to be sucked into the sky. I often get asked how the effect in the sky was achieved as I guess most people assume it is a computer generated effect. Taking a completely different approach to photographing Glastonbury Tor, this is a much more dramatic, surreal picture. An hour long exposure of Glastonbury Tor, Somerset, showing star trails swirling in the sky above St Michael’s Tower. I have since made other panoramic pictures with a similar composition but this is my favourite. The way the mist gradually thickens as it gets closer to Glastonbury is wonderful. It was later on that same morning that I also made this panoramic picture of Glastonbury Tor: Purchase this photograph as a print The Glory of Avalon When it’s too thin the ‘island’ effect isn’t as pronounced and much of the atmosphere is missing. When it’s too thick Glastonbury Tor becomes a dot in a sea of white with all other landmarks shrouded in mist. By this I mean that it wasn’t too thick or too thin. Having witnessed the misty landscape from Deerleap many times since, I haven’t yet photographed it on another morning where the mist was in the right place. The morning on which I made this picture was quite special. On mornings like this it becomes an island once again. On misty mornings it is the perfect spot to appreciate just how flat the landscape is and how it would’ve looked thousands of years ago when the area was under water. It is well known by local artists because of the far reaching views it provides over the Somerset Levels and of Glastonbury Tor nestled in amongst the hills. Several miles north of Glastonbury is a spot on the Mendip hills known as Deerleap. A foggy sunrise over the Somerset levels. Just before the sun broke over the horizon the light was wonderful and the tree appeared as a silhouette against the cool sky. I captured this image in 2007 on a very frosty morning when fog was shrouding the fields around Glastonbury Tor. Unfortunately this view of the Holy Thorn tree at the top of Wearyall Hill was diminished by vandals who cut the top off of the tree. Here are some of my favourite views… Glastonbury Tor and Holy Thorn at sunrise in winter. I have been fortunate enough to capture Glastonbury Tor on many such mornings and from many hilltops and fields throughout the area. The atmosphere of misty sunrises on the Somerset Levels is very special indeed it’s the reason so many legends are associated with the area. Please click here for more information.Since I began taking landscape photographs, Glastonbury Tor has been one of my most frequently visited subjects. Would you like to commission and sponsor me to write an article about what you do, for Normal For Glastonbury? You’d be reaching thousands of readers who love the Town. You can also subscribe to Normal For Glastonbury by email, follow the Normal for Glastonbury facebook page, share my blog and facebook posts (this is really important – it’s how I reach more readers!). My readers support this blog to keep it independent and ad-free, so I can continue to write about and photograph Glastonbury Town and its wonderful creative community.įor more of ‘this sort of thing’ join the We Are Normal For Glastonbury membership site, for exclusive content, a comprehensive guide to making the most of your visit to the town, a personalised membership certificate and more. Then you’ll love my books – ‘Normal For Glastonbury: Life in England’s Most Magical Town’ (the new fully illustrated edition is now available) and my ‘ Crap Views of the Tor’ Postcard Book.
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