Issue 305: behind the cover

Péter Juhász in Tywarnhayle Mine, Cornwall, by Dave Watts

I have visited quite a few different mines over the years – in Mendip, Wales and Derbyshire – but nothing had prepared me for what the mines of Devon and Cornwall had in store. The sheer scale and diversity of minerals and complex geology all contributed to producing some of the most amazing mines I have ever seen. Tywarnhayle Mine offers a great introduction to the mines of Cornwall; the interesting stopes, dramatic skipway and colourful mineral deposits give lots of scope for photography.

This image of Péter was taken at the bottom of one of the large stopes. The intricacy of this section of the mine made it a little challenging to light and the pit prop timbers, although useful for hiding flash guns, also cast unwanted shadows if not lit properly. To get round this problem I shot this particular image on a tripod; this enabled me to shoot a variety of exposures before blending them together in Photoshop. I thus had more control over the final image and the balance of lighting.

Dave Watts