Interior church shot-need help

[Kirk Gittings]

I wouldn't be afraid to have some people in a photo too, even if they are blurred or hard to identify. A church is a place for people to congregate and worship. To not have any people makes it seem to me like it's missing something, regardless of how beautiful the photo or historical architecture is.

I would say that is a matter of taste and intent. I have spent a large part of my career photographing churches-some 400 historic churches in northern NM alone for an NEA grant. I had people in one of them (blurred) which I could only get access to during a mass. IMO people are implied by the nature of the structure and don't need to be shown IF the image is about the structure rather than about peoples worship.

[Heroique]

A church is a place for people to congregate and worship. To not have any people makes it seem to me like it's missing something, regardless of how beautiful the photo or historical architecture is.

I would say that is a matter of taste and intent.

A compromise of sorts is a church w/ sculpture or effigies decorating the interior.

Adds a super-sharp “human” element, if not necessarily a scaled one. Catholic churches are my favorite for this; your Presbyterian church will likely have fewer opportunities.

A b/w example is “Effigy in Durham Cathedral” from Simmons’ book Using the View Camera.