Cathedral | alan frost photography

Posts tagged ‘Cathedral’

St Davids Cathedral – capturing the light

There are many reasons why I enjoy being in a church or cathedral. Making photographs which capture the light inside these special places is just one reason – it gives me a great deal of pleasure.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I can spend many an hour waiting for the right light. There are also occasions when little or no waiting is required and a sixth sense just tells me I should be inside even when the sun is shining outside. Photographing St Davids Cathedral on the first afternoon of my visit to Pembrokeshire turned out to be one such occasion.

I had driven the best part of 300 miles that day and had arranged to meet Andy Beel FRPS and the three other photographers in our group at 4pm. The light was good and St Davids Cathedral was only a short walk from our small hotel where we would be spending the next few days.

Bathed in the late afternoon light the Cathedral and grounds looked lovely but as soon as we arrived I instinctively knew that I should be inside and not outside. I just had a feeling that the lighting conditions could be working their magic and so it was.

The combination of the strong low sunlight and the shadows that were being cast only lasted about half an hour but it was more than enough time for me to capture the five images that make up this post.

During the course of the week we did return to St Davids Cathedral at different times of the day, but the light was never quite as good as that brief encounter on the first afternoon. I am sure my fellow workshop participants captured some good shots outside, but I don’t regret my decision to have acted differently and I hope they have forgiven me for disappearing so quickly after our first meeting.

I will be posting more entries and photographs of this Cathedral in the near future.

Truly inspiring – The Art of Seeing – a short video by Ken Keen FRPS

As photographers we can learn so much from each other. We can be inspired by the work and dedication of those who take pleasure in making photographs of subjects which personally we particularly enjoy. We can also admire anyone who is able to produce the finest images in the face of adversity.

I was therefore delighted to discover the work of Ken Keen a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. Born in 1934 he specialises in making images of medieval churches and cathedrals with a large format camera and printed in historical (or alternative) process: cyanotype-Rex and salt print. A passionate photographer for many decades, what is truly remarkable is that in the year 2000 he lost most of his sight and is registered blind. He is now a member of the Disabled Photographers Society.

For the last 15 years or so, with the help of close friends and fellow photographers, he visits and makes photographs of religious buildings across the UK, some of which I have been to myself for my own Churches Project. In my humble opinion his images are outstanding and I took a great deal of pleasure looking at his website – www.kenkeenandlight fromthedarkeness.com. You can read his Biography here.

The short video, entitled ‘The Art of Seeing’ is just 20 minutes long, and is well worth viewing.

He has published a Blurb Book ‘Light from the Darkness’. I have only looked at the preview pages, but judging by the images on his website I may well be ordering my copy very soon.

Light from the Darkness by Ken Keen FRPS

Shadows of Light

In my last post ‘Shadows of the Wanderer’, the shadows referred to people or refugees, whereas in this shot made on the same day, shadows are formed by the strong sunlight as it pierces through the leaded light mullioned windows of the cloisters in Chichester Cathedral.

To emphasise these shapes of light I have increased the contrast, darkened the foreground, obliterating any detail in the flagstone floor whilst retaining minimal information in the wall and around the windows themselves.

Do click on the image to view a larger version which will open in a new window.

‘Shadows of the Wanderer’ in Chichester Cathedral

This is a truly wonderful and thought provoking exhibition by the artist Ana Maria Pacheco, which is currently on display in the North Transept of Chichester Cathedral in West Sussex, and runs until the 14th November.

There are ten figures all wearing dark robes, each one carved from a single lime tree, with eyes made of onyx. The two central figures, again carved from a single piece of wood, depict a man carrying an elderly person. Based on Virgil’s Aeneid from 29BC, Aeneas carries his lame father on his back to escape the burning ruins of Troy. The other figures in the shadows have very differing expressions and postures, which provoke a wide range of emotions in the viewer. As you take in the scene it is impossible to escape the synergy with todays issues of migration and people fleeing from their homes in a stricken country, all seeking refuge in another place.

I rarely photograph art installations or exhibitions, as they can turn out to be nothing more than record shots. However I felt this was different, as the sculptures gave themselves to a form of portraiture, which also allowed me to make a set of images which I hope does justice to the artist’s work.

I was very fortunate to find myself in the Cathedral at a time when a single shaft of light from a high window moved through the ‘shadows’ to illuminate just one figure in the scene, almost as if the light of God was showing them the way.

For further information and to read more about ‘Shadows of the Wanderer’ please click here.

Do click on any of the images to view a larger version which will open in a new window.

Churches Project no.8 – St Mary Magdalene Chapel, Chichester Cathedral

My Churches Project has been rather quiet of late; in fact it’s nearly 3 months since I posted anything new, but I now have more time on my hands so I can start visiting and photographing the many churches and Cathedrals I wish to visit.

To get things underway here is an image taken this week of St Mary Magdalene Chapel in Chichester Cathedral, West Sussex. The main feature is a painting by Graham Sutherland (1903 -1980) entitled Noli me tangere (Touch me not or Do not hold me). Painted in 1961 it depicts Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene on the first Easter morning.

I like the beautiful and quiet simplicity of this chapel – The polished stone table covered with a pure white cloth. The two candlesticks on each side and the modern painting set against the aged stone of the Cathedral.

Do click on the image to view a larger version and be able to see more detail particularly of the painting itself.