Church, Cathedral Photography - Thread

Neil79 said:
QUESTION : Although i do a lot of HDR with my church and Cathedral's what's the best way to expose inside these buildings?. I always find the windows too bright or the lighting extremely bad and not what I saw through my eye.

Do you expose for the windows or the walls?
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This is the pain of shooting in churches\catherdrals, I just concentrate on the subject I'm most interested in.


Gloucester Cathedral by jj_glos, on Flickr


Gloucester Cathedral by jj_glos, on Flickr


Gloucester Cathedral by jj_glos, on Flickr

1/10 handheld!

Gloucester Cathedral by jj_glos, on Flickr
 
I wish i had your talent in church photography :(

Though going by how sharp and detailed it is i bet the lens helps a lot!
 
Yeah all the 50mm shots are wide open at f1.4, this is the Sigma 50mm f1.4 which I picked up for £220 second hand so not too expensive. Others are with the Tamron 17-35 f2.8-4 which is an old film lens! These can be found for around £180-200. I did use a 1Ds2 as well which is rather nice :)
 
Mine aren't brilliant as some of the others but I thought I'd contribute :p

Gloucester Cathedral:

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Worcester Cathedral:

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This ones a bit orangey :/

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My Flickr
 
Rojin said:
Yeah all the 50mm shots are wide open at f1.4, this is the Sigma 50mm f1.4 which I picked up for £220 second hand so not too expensive. Others are with the Tamron 17-35 f2.8-4 which is an old film lens! These can be found for around £180-200. I did use a 1Ds2 as well which is rather nice :)
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Nice!, I'm trying to replace my Kit lens, it's crap!. But i've only got up to £200 to spend, can't find the right lens at all :(:(
 
For most of the "detail" shots where I am concentrating on a feature I like, they are shot at f1.4. Personally I tend to use a wider aperture as I never take a tripod with me. If you want to shoot at f8 you either need an IS lens and still a high ISO, or take a tripod with you. f8 will obviously give you a larger dof with more elements in focus, so if this is what you want to achieve you'll be wanting to take a tripod.

The first corridor shot I posted in the thread is at f6.3 ISO800 1/60 17mm. The wide shot of the interior is f3.5 ISO320 1/10 17mm (I should've upped the ISO!). As I hand hold I have to manage the shutter speed to avoid blur. This will mean I have to use a higher ISO and wider aperture, I also just happen to like the narrow dof from a wider aperture :D

As for lenses, the 50mm f1.8 prime is a good start and can be had for £60-70 second hand, it's only £75 new. The Tamron 17-50 f2.8 non VC is a good step up from the kit lens. That's the route I went and it's a great lens for the money. As I've now got a FF camera I'm thinking of selling mine. If I do it'll be on the MM for around £180.
 
Where's that kidloco? You got up to the roof as well?! I always miss the tour to the roof at Gloucester :(

The shot below is a before and after with perspective corrected in CS5:

 
Some Stained glass from Hawarden Church, Flintshire (Hawarden Castle was home to William Ewart Gladstone, the famous 19th Century Prime Minister).

The Church boasts some impressive Byrne-Jones windows.




Byrne-Jones Nativity Window, St. Deiniol's Church, Hawarden by Andy2580, on Flickr


The Crucifixion, St. Deiniol's Church, Hawarden by Andy2580, on Flickr


Stained Glass, St. Deiniol's Church, Hawarden by Andy2580, on Flickr


St. Martin and St. George, St. Deiniol's Church, Hawarden by Andy2580, on Flickr

Next up St. Mary's Church, Selattyn, a small village on the Wales / English border.


St. Marys Church, Selattyn by Andy2580, on Flickr


St. Marys Church, Selattyn by Andy2580, on Flickr

Then how about Moreton Church at Moreton Corbet, Shrewsbury.


St. Bartholomew's Church, Moreton Corbet, Shropshire by Andy2580, on Flickr


Stained Glass, St. Bartholomew Church, Moreton Corbet by Andy2580, on Flickr

Next up Bodelwyddan Church, if you've ever travelled along the A55 towards Rhyl, Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay etc., then you've passed this Church, it is commonly called the Marble Church - not because of the construction material, which is Limestone, but for the interior which boasts quite a few difference marble pillers etc.,


Detail of Bodelwyddan Tower by Andy2580, on Flickr


Amazing Stonework by Andy2580, on Flickr


Bodelwyddan Church Window by Andy2580, on Flickr


Bodelwyddan Church Window by Andy2580, on Flickr

Lastly, The Church of St. John the Baptist, the first Cathederal of Chester


Brass Lectern, St. John's Church by Andy2580, on Flickr


Stained Glass, St. John's Church by Andy2580, on Flickr


King Aethelred (674-704) by Andy2580, on Flickr


Altar and Cross, St. John's Church by Andy2580, on Flickr
 
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Yes, very difficult to get a shot because the light was so bad in there. It was taken with a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens as well. Next time I go I might pursuade the Vicar to let me use a tripod, he owes me a favour since I fixed his Computer a few years back :)
 
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