“Lady Chapel” – St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York
“When introverts go to church, we crave sanctuary in every sense of the word, as we flee from the disorienting distractions of twenty-first-century life. We desire to escape from superficial relationships, trivial communications and the constant noise that pervade our world, and find rest in the probing depths of God’s love.”
― Adam S. McHugh
I have real love of sacred places. Cathedrals are such humbling places, filled with quiet places to sooth the soul and vast humbling spaces that force the eyes to the heavens, yet make us look inward. They are also architectural wonders where I lose myself in the complexity of mighty columns and soaring arches.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City is no exception. It is a vast, marvelous, church built of rich white marble, and surrounded by the busy shops of 5th Avenue, yet offers worshipers and visitors alike, moments of peace and reflection. The cathedral itself was built between 1858 and 1879 in a Gothic Revival style and the Lady Chapel (above) was added in 1906.
For such a vast place, there are many places, such as the Lady Chapel, where you can separate from the tourists and their ever present selfie-sticks, to reflect and pray in a peaceful place. The Lady Chapel is off limits to cameras, which is a great thing, yet I wanted to capture the wonder of this sacred place, and was able to accomplish it, from a distance, with my long lense, without disturbing the sanctity of this important worship space.
As with my earlier image of the Pieta, I shot with existing light, to capture the natural colours and textures, while not disturbing the space with a bright flash. It is, after all, a place of worship and should be respected.The warmth of this space is particularly appealing to me, accented by the wonderful sea-blue of the stained glass windows.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm
1/60 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1,000
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It is a beautiful church and I love the blue windows, great shot Ed.
Thank you Karen. It is beautiful.
What a beautiful church. I love the blue. Interestingly enough, the people sitting in the pews are framed just right. Was that you, or just happenstance???
Again, your writing compliments without overwhelming.
Thanks again. Keeping the people in the frame was deliberate. I wanted to show it as a place where people actively worship, rather than just an empty space to view from a distance.
Marvelous calculation on the exposure. My own attempts from years ago showed the folly of trying to use flash in such a setting. Also, as a Nikon adherent, I’m interested in seeing more samples of Tamron imaging, as I’ve often been tempted to give them a go. Enjoy your prose as well. Thanks for your visits to me at http://www.thenormaleye.com