Travel Photography: Churches

Not only do churches reflect the spiritual values of the surrounding community, but they are especially photogenic in regards to both architectural design and social progress. The goal of photographing them is to capture their beauty as well as their meaning and personality.

One of the most commonly unfortunate situation in which you may find yourself when you attempt to photograph the exterior of a church, especially a historical one, is that it is likely closely surrounded by city life, city people, and city buildings. It might be a nice juxtaposition to include, say, a modern office building in the same shot as a centuries-old church. Some churches are also in picturesque settings, from specific vantage points, such as Notre-Dame, which is most commonly and most beautifully captured as it is reflected in the Seine.

Incidentally, since churches as sacred and value-protected houses of worship, always inquire if photography is allowed and don't flood either the interior or the exterior with an overabundance of flashes. Also, one must be especially mindful of the parishioners.

If you are allowed to photograph inside the church, you would likely find some very interesting, highly-photogenic stained glass windows. With exciting splashes of colour and meaning, they are actually quite simple to photograph.

Ideally, they are bet lit (for photographic purposes) when it is hazy or slightly overcast, rather than in bright direct sunlight. Don't worry if your camera blackens the surroundings, as long as you can see the colours of the stained glass windows, you should have an excellent photograph. Alternately, you can always fill the frame with the window and not worry much about the surrounding apparent darkness.

Also, when photographing stained glass windows, don't always concentrate only on the entirety of the design, but also look for interesting patterns in the glass blocks and smaller sections that capture the spiritual theme of the window.

So, when you are ready to experience the wonder and the majesty of the churches and their stained glass windows, book that vacation at www.kingarthur.myttn.com and let's get you started!