Sunset at Mont Saint-Michel

Visiting and photographing Mont Saint-Michel was something I had wanted to do for a very long time. Mont Saint-Michel is a tidal island off the coast of Normandy and is one of the most recognizable places in France. When planning an early summer trip to France, I booked two nights in the area. I wanted to have a chance at two sunrises and sunsets, plus a moonset. I figured with that many chances, I’d get some great photos, right?

Well, luck was in my favor during the early days of the trip when it seemed we had great light at every turn. I suspect I got very lucky — Normandy in late spring/early summer can apparently have a lot of clouds. While I don’t mind partly cloudy days (they often bring the best sunsets), skies with 90% or more clouds are often dull and grey.

On our second night at Mont Saint-Michel, we stayed within walking distance of a wide field that provided great views of the Mont. As sunset neared, we walked out into the fields to take photos. Based on the weather, I thought we might have a good sunset. There was a thin layer of clouds, which are great for reflecting light after the sun drops below the horizon.

Wandering through the fields, I found an interesting ditch-like feature which cut through the turf and provided a leading line that I really liked. I set up my tripod and waited for good light. As luck would have it, we had a wonderful sunset full of orange and pink tones.

Sunset at Mont Saint-Michel

I’ll be sharing several more photos from Mont Saint-Michel. I was also able to catch a wonderful moonset, some great morning light, and a few photos with the local sheep who forage in the fields during the daytime.