Crohy Head

At Crohy Head in County Donegal stands one of the most photogenic sea arches on the Emerald Isle. The impressive rock formation is affectionately known as ‘The Breeches’, or ‘Na Bristí’ in Irish, because its shape recalls a pair of knee-breeches. It forms part of an ensemble of several sea stacks that enriches this rugged stretch of coastline as a particular eye-catcher.

There are essentially two angles to consider here. The most obvious is to photograph directly from below, at the foot of the cliffs on the coast. The ‘path’ down should only be attempted at low tide and demands a fair bit, since it’s steep and slippery. Once down, you can walk along the coast depending on the water level and look for a suitable spot for your shot. On my last visit the tide happened to be in, so I was spared the scramble, which on an earlier visit hadn’t brought the variety of subjects I’d hoped for anyway. So for me, only the second angle was an option: from above, at the cliff edge. The big advantage of this position is that the sea arch can be photographed largely free-standing, without overlapping with the other sea stacks. You can also work far more relaxed, since the tides aren’t breathing down your neck. I’d planned my visit from the outset around the position of the sun rather than the tides. The rugged cliffs glowed just as I’d hoped in the golden evening light, while the sea arch and sea stacks were caressed by a gentle side light. In the background, the coastline faded into a mere silhouette. The evening light also showcased details such as another sea arch in the cliffs, one that’s otherwise swallowed by shadow. The light was a dream.

For the composition, I decided to allot the cliffs at Crohy Head roughly a third of the frame. On one hand, they create a point of reference; on the other, they lend the shot depth. The golden light and the long exposure gave this rugged coastal stretch an almost meditative mood. And yet the zen-like image I saw on my display didn’t quite match what was happening around me. The sea was restless, the waves crashed against the rocks and made a proper racket – far more ‘boom’ than ‘ommm’. To capture this wild unrest as well, I took the filters off the camera and switched to short shutter speeds. Looking back, I’m glad to have both versions in the bag, because to this day I haven’t been able to decide for myself which of the two shots is the better one.