CHURCHES

Old churches and church structures have always fascinated me. Their architectural voices speak to me, which leads me to photograph their essence; their presence, more so than just a single building.

Let's start with a good example of essence. The sunlight entering the structure and painting the stone floor added so much to the character of Concepcíon Mission in San Antonio, Texas.

Also in Texas, east of San Antonio, are several old German "Painted Churches." They are extremely colorful and ornate, as this photo depicts. They didn't go easy on the minute details either.

This beautiful eight-story Buddhist stupa in northern Colorado also got my attention, especially all the offerings in this offering plate. There was a candle, an apple, a tennis ball, and what appears to be an inhaler even. I wish I could talk to everybody who placed an offering and ask them what their offering symbolized. 

San Francisco de Así church, Taos New Mexico. It is probably the most photographed structure in Taos, maybe in all of New Mexico. One article I read said it is the most photographed church in the world. Built in 1772, it was photographed by Ansel Adams and painted by Georgia O'Keeffe. This is my rendition, showcasing the adobe construction, rounded edges and corners, and mystery, It's not what we usually think of when we think of a church. A beautiful structure, inside and out. 

This beautiful Catholic church in Eureka Springs, Arkansas has a Hungarian influence.
The grounds, as well as the structure, has a lot to admire and absorb. I had to use a super- wide 10 mm focal length to get the whole thing in.

St. John's Catholic church is in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I did not expect to see a blue ceiling.
They allowed me to go up to the back balcony where the choir is on Sunday mornings. This view from up high brings out the geometric designs on the ceiling. Most photos, including my own, emphasize mostly the walls, stained glass windows and the alter. 

This beauty, also a Catholic church, is commonly referred to as Chapel on The Rock. It attracts folks with mobile phones, tablets, and digital cameras as they travel south of Estes Park, Colorado on the Peak--to-Peak highway. 

I'll leave you with this jaw-dropping piece of architecture--Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. No nails! The precision on this spiraling staircase is a work of perfection and wonder. It was completed in 1878. You can read more about its dimensions and history here. 

These beauties are everywhere. Every city has old churches that date anywhere between the 1700s and early 1900s--look for them. Most authorities will let you photograph them, especially is you promise to send them the photos you take. If I can, I like to ask permission, just to remain on the ethical side of things. 

So, get your wide angle lens and tripod and have fun. And remember, you can all the depth-of-field you need with 10mm-17mm lenses without shooting at f/16 or higher! I usually use f/8-f/9.5 with my 10 mm lens. 

And don't forget to wet your fingers with holy water before you start shooting. It could bring you luck. 😊

    

 

 

 

WATER

It's all around us--ponds, puddles, lakes, dripping water, waterfalls....the list goes on. It's fun to interpret the quality of water, its context, or the feelings it stirs in us. 

One key point to remember is that when I aim my camera at water, it is often very bright, which makes it difficult for the camera's built-in light meter to know what I want. It will try to give me what it thinks I need, but, since it can't think, it doesn't know what I'm after. That could be very troublesome. However, the easy fix is two-fold: I either, 1) Overexpose the shot to give me more needed details in the water and other parts of the scene, OR, 2) I go with the flow and underexpose the scene even more than the meter thinks I need when I want to make the common uncommon, or if I want to create something the eyes can't see.

Here are some examples to show you what I mean.

I'll start with an image from my Impressionism series. If you've taken a class from me or have read my book Right Brain Photography, you know I like creating Impressionism through photography. One way I do that is to photograph only the reflection in a scene, knowing that I'm going to display it (or show it) "upside down." that is exactly what I did for this scene along  Hot Springs Creek in my hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas. I was captivated by the impressionistic-looking trees reflected in the creek. I chose a high shutter speed (1/350) to make sure I "froze" the movements of the water. It looks like a painting, without spending time with software applications. I get more creative freedom from applying my photographic skills than from applying computer software skills. 

By coincidence, I found this unique scene along the same creek. There was an indention on this big boulder in the middle of the creek which had filled up with water during a recent rain. Surprisingly, it formed a heart shape, which added to the scenario. The boulder was grayish in color. I converted it to black and white to make the water-filled indention stand out even more.

By many accounts, Maroon Bells, near Aspen, are the most photographed subjects in Colorado. You can see why. I have learned that if you want mirror images in lakes, you need to be there early, before the wind kicks up, causing any reflections to get lost in gyrating ripples in the water.

Also in Colorado, south of Breckenridge, are hidden, but beautiful, Blue Lakes. The reflections that day were very surreal in that they looked distorted, ala Salvador Dali. 

Smaller subject reflections also grab my attention. Water lilies have a sensual softness to them; romantic in a way. They're soothing, especially when they are repeated in reflections.

For scenes like this, you have to get down low, very low, in order to pick up the reflections. If you photograph a scene like this from eye level, the reflections are lost under the lily pads--you won't see them.

  

I like to take what I call my "birthday hikes." That's what I did this particular day. This was such a unique scene, I just had to stop and study it. It was like an abstract painting on canvas, but it was real--right before my eyes. The big rock in the low-level lake added interest and mystique to the scene. A great composition just waiting for me to aim my camera at it.

I will often underexpose a scene to bring out its mysteries and create a bit of artistic drama. 

Such was the case this early morning when I saw the sun just above the trees. I loved the silhoettes against the sunburst reflected on the lake. I underexposed the scene by an additional -2/3 to create the mysterious, ethereal feel to the scene. By the way, I chose an f/stop of f/20 in order to create the sunburst. 

I will end my blog today with this meditative image. This is how I feel when I go into a deep meditative state. Aahhh! I used a soft-producing shutter speed of 1/6 of a second to create this soothing, peaceful feel on Ouzel Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park.

There is water all around you. Go find it and have fun. Even a simple bird bath bowl can have artistic appeal, if you see with your imagination, not your eyes.