Post your churches

[dengfang314]

St. Luke Church, South Louisiana, USA. HP5+, Chamonix 4x5, Nikkor 90mm f/8

[barnacle]

Sometimes the light just gets it right, and sometimes what I see in my head when I press the button actually sticks to the film. These are the first two dry enough to scan, of a handful I took today, just rough scans with obviously work still to do.

All are on out-of-date (2013) Adox CHS-50, developed 8 minutes continuous agitation (Paterson rotary sheet tank) in Rodinol at 3cc in 150cc total per four 5x4 sheets. The lens is a Fujinon W f5.6 135mm.

Ely Cathedral Nave, 14 Feb 2016 - 4 seconds, f22

Playing with the gamma reveals detail in both the door at bottom left and in the shadow top right. I'm really pleased with this picture.

And facing the other way:

Ely Cathedral Altar, 14 Feb 2016 - 30 seconds, f22

Neil

[barnacle]

Ely Cathedral Choir, 14 Feb 2016 - 60 seconds, f32

Neil

[johnmsanderson]

beautiful depth and tonalities!

[andreios]

Neil, beautiful shots - Few days ago I've read The Deans Watch by Elisabeth Groudge which I think is based around the Ely Cathedral - I've never been there (yet) but your images fit her description of this place well..

[barnacle]

Thank you. I have been moved to make the last shot my desktop background (And I don't do religion, at all.)

I can thoroughly recommend a trip to see Ely Cathedral if you're in the UK - not only is it a beautiful example of thousand-year-old architecture, but they do a couple of tours which get you out onto the roof and into the bits you don't usually see.

Neil

[Andrew O'Neill]

Thanks, Renato. Appreciate it.

@yingye, thanks! EI 250. 10:30, in Pyrocat-HD.

[Barry Kirsten]

Lovely images, Neil. Can I ask, as a general rule are tripods allowed in English cathedrals?

[Andrew O'Neill]

Abbey Tower by Andrew O'Neill, on Flickr

Westminster Abbey, on a very windy, Autumn afternoon. FP4-Plus 8x10 developed in Amidol.

[barnacle]

Thanks, Barry.

Most churches at the parish level, where there is very little general visiting, don't care. If there is a member of the church staff there I will always ask - it's only polite - but I've never been refused.

For the larger cathedrals, many of which are also tourist destinations as well as places of worship, there is generally a small fee - a couple of pounds as a rule - requested, if a tripod is used. There may be one or two in which it is forbidden entirely, usually on obstruction and safety grounds. I don't know of any in particular, but I haven't been to them all!

It is vanishingly rare that I see another photographer with a tripod, and almost never that I see a large format photographer. I think the cathedrals maintain the charge from inertia rather than any particular need... at Ely, the charge was two pounds, but they waived it as my wife and I had just spent eighteen pounds on the Octagon Tower guided tour - recommended.

Neil

p.s. many of the cathedrals have websites and photography rules may be listed there. The main one is 'not during services'.