The only light used was through the stained glass windows.
In A Dark Church (2)
Tag Archives: Church
In A Dark Church (2)
Photographed in a church using only the outside light through stained glass windows.
In A Dark Church
Photographed in a church using only the outside light through stained glass windows.
Cathedral Of St. John The Baptist (2)
The first brownstone cathedral was built in 1854 and named the Cathedral of Saint John and Saint Finbar. It burned in a great fire in December 1861. The rebuilt cathedral was named for St. John the Baptist and was constructed on the foundations of the earlier structure. Architect Patrick Keely designed both the original cathedral and its replacement.
The building was of special interest to us being built out of brownstone. We could almost see the quarries for the stone from our home in Connecticut. Portland CT stone was used in most of the NYC buildings as well.
All the images in this article were taken with a Tamron 18-400 lens, certainly not made for interior photography. I do think it worked out but on another visit I will be sure to have a few short prime lens in my pocket.
For me the images in a church is all about the lines. That worked for Notre Dame in Paris and Strasbourg, as well as the outdoors tabernacles. I follow lines and the composition takes care of itself… I might take a bad shot, but that’s my fault.
Charleston, South Carolina has incredible churches everywhere, the trick is to find them empty and available for a shoot.
Cathedral Of St. John The Baptist (1)
The first cathedral was built in 1854 but it burned in the great Charleston fire of 1861. An enormous part of the city was destroyed. This building was started in 1890, completed in 1907.
The church is known for it’s rare Franz Mayer & Co. stained glass.
Like many of the Charleston churches, and there are many, the doors can usually be found open to the public. Sad, but not common anymore.
This is the first article in a series of photographs of this historic church.
Church, Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina is called the ‘Holy City’ due to the large number of old and historic churches here. Starting in the 1600’s many religious denominations came here to escape various types of persecution. We were pretty good about that once.
Many of the churches are open for visits on week days in town.
When out shooting in town I try to always have a wide primary lens with me. I never know what type of buildings I may find.
Indian Field Campground, 99 Tents
Indian Field Campground, in South Carolina, is a camp meeting site. The design is based on an octagon of 99 tents (wooden) surrounding an open air tabernacle. This layout is based on a description in Leviticus, the old testament bible. (click to view tabernacle article)
Walking towards the tabernacle in the center you get a feeling of how large this really is.
Above is taken from outside the octagon, the back of the tents. Here are open air kitchens and sitting areas.
Tents are close together. Again, the back area here. Community interaction is an important part of this once a year gathering.
A circular road runs around the campground. The far side has the all important ‘private privy’
The tents vary in size. The single-story preacher’s cabin is larger and taller than the other cabins. It has a four-panel door flanked by two-over-two light windows.
This camp, the newer one, was built in 1848. The convenience of a wagon (now small car) trail is spaced around the octagon. The first Indian Field Campground was held on a farm in the late 18th century. It was probably located near the first church building. 1801 was the first camp, one has been held every year since.
The Tabernacle At Indian Field Campground
I had seen other photographers work of this location, I was not prepared for what I found. Mine will probably fall short of it’s simple grandeur.
Religious camp meetings are the ‘ole time revival’ tent meetings. Only a permanent location. The first camp meeting here was held nearby in Indians Fields, 1801. This campground was built and first used in 1848. Since then it has held camp a week out of every year (it was shorter during the civil war, people were busy).
The tabernacle is a wooden pavilion (new roof) that seats 1,000 people, in the center of an octagon. It is surrounded by 99 wooden ‘tents’. The camp design and layout follows the old testament book of Leviticus, ’99 wood tents and a tabernacle’.
The campground was placed on the US National Register Of Historic Places in 1973.
The grounds are in a very rural location. A circular dirt road winds around the camp. If you look at these photographs (and more to come) you will see everything is open, no walls, high rafter ceilings. The floors are straw / dirt.
Now… there was not a single birds nest, spider web, dust, or any type of animal to be seen. This is in the woods. The local Methodist church must clean and maintain every building, constantly.
I’m not sure how big the overall camp is, but huge works for me.