Church

The picture is delightful, Chris, but I'd also love to see it a little smaller, so there will be white space around it over which it can have dominion. right now it is only just completely visible on my iMac screen so it would be great to enjoy it pulled back a little. Maybe 600 pixels wide would work well.

Thanks,

Asher

Nice!

Very nice photo,

Would love to know more about how you took the photo? Gear, etc.

Capturing the white and still maintaining shadow values is one of the most complex things you can do in photography, film or digital same problems exist.

Hard to tell with the (possible) differences in monitors, what values are you reading on the white walls? Might be able to punch it up just a hair more. But that could be my laptop. Ultimately it is the print that matters.

Great composition!

I did this as an experiment using a Digital Zone System from an article I read. I did use my Pentax Spotmeter, metering for the highlights instead of the shadows, dialing back the shutter to a centerpoint in the camera. Pretty much, I set it to read for what in film would have been a Zone 7 but honestly, I don't know if I did the process correctly or not. I was shooting a Nikon D7000 and I am pretty sure the 18-105 kit lens.

I tried to pop the whites a bit but found the light didn't match the scene. I've shot this same church, from the same angle at least four times, three in film (35mm and 2-1/4) and this one in digital. Oddly enough, all four are quite similar in tonal range.

Chris Calohan said:

Rural Baptist Church: Chris Calohan​

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Chris,

It's stunning the improvement in experience, now that there's white space around the image. I feel that images like this need to having living space and be able to breathe and somehow hold influence over the surrounding territories. I love this picture. It has simple, but commanding geometry and the balance between the hardness of the angles of solid wood and the billowing white clouds above.

Great job. Now do you have anything that could stand next to this as a sibling? Are there barns or schoolhouses with similarly strong appeal?

Asher

I do and will repost momentarily.

Church:
A pity the subject didn't have more personality or character, as the comp is interesting.

I thought the stark geometry of the structure showed great personality and character.

Chris Calohan said:

Rural Baptist Church: Chris Calohan​

Click to expand...

Martin Stephens said:

Church:
A pity the subject didn't have more personality or character, as the comp is interesting.

Click to expand...

Martin,

The composition shows a striking interaction and contrast between the geometric face of the church and the sharply serious oncoming edges of billowing soft clouds, the two, the building and the sky, detailed so differently by the lighting. This first impression is one of an apparently perfect balance and harmony between man's house of worship and the sky, as if heaven and earth meet here.

So nothing more is actually required to make this picture more worthy of a place in our memories or in our collections. There's no requirement for some detail, like a marriage, two dogs, tails wagging, greeting each other or an old truck broken down, engine letting off a cloud of steam! No such detail, just a pristine composition.

What you have pointed out, the absence of interesting additional action, is really the superb openness of the picture. So what do we do, then if we still want more, "Imagine!"

We arrive at events and images like this with a vast library of previous experience. So here's the challenge. What can you imagine inside the church and outside the doors of this building? Are their similar pristine images that come to mind? What other structures are so white or triangular towards the sky?

IOW, Chris provides a space for us to imagine: I call this playground, "The Imaginorium". He could have provided a giant inkblot as in a Rocharch test. Both might work that way, it depends on the viewer and how long he/she lingers!

Asher

Those Baptists sure are minimalists, Chris, and you've done their church justice. Its not a photo that would have one lingering unless you were a tecno buff and wanted to know about the camera and settings. Is that why you took it, to test the settings on the camera? If that's the case, select your hyperfocal distance a bit better next time.
As for the rest, It would make a great shot for the local real estate agent or records for the local historic society.
Cheers
Tom

Be that as it may, I sell at least one copy of this image at every show I do... Baptists love it. Different strokes for different folks makes the world go round...it doesn't make it an above reproach photograph, it just means there are those folks who like church pics.

Chris Calohan said:

Rural Baptist Church: Chris Calohan​

Click to expand...

For the benefit of those not familiar with American gothic art, this picture of the man and woman in front of that white house is considered iconic. So, this would be one of those library references people could draw on when seeing a white simple clapboard building with a triangular roof piercing the sky. So the picture by Chris is not merely what it is, but at least that and then what we bring to it! That's the difference between literal art and art that allows the literate and or creative person person to use their god-given imagination. That's how art can work if we allow it and we're open to new experiences.

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Martin,

The composition shows a striking interaction and contrast between the geometric face of the church and the sharply serious oncoming edges of billowing soft clouds, the two, the building and the sky, detailed so differently by the lighting. This first impression is one of an apparently perfect balance and harmony between man's house of worship and the sky, as if heaven and earth meet here.

So nothing more is actually required to make this picture more worthy of a place in our memories or in our collections. There's no requirement for some detail, like a marriage, two dogs, tails wagging, greeting each other or an old truck broken down, engine letting off a cloud of steam! No such detail, just a pristine composition.

What you have pointed out, the absence of interesting additional action, is really the superb openness of the picture. So what do we do, then if we still want more, "Imagine!"

We arrive at events and images like this with a vast library of previous experience. So here's the challenge. What can you imagine inside the church and outside the doors of this building? Are their similar pristine images that come to mind? What other structures are so white or triangular towards the sky?

IOW, Chris provides a space for us to imagine: I call this playground, "The Imaginorium". He could have provided a giant inkblot as in a Rocharch test. Both might work that way, it depends on the viewer and how long he/she lingers!

Asher

Click to expand...

Asher,
I now understand your comment here. In my brief comment, I had said "subject" and I should have said "church." As in , "pity the church didn't have more character." I didn't mean the subject matter was in need. It is perfect. I meant the church is so very plain, symmetrical and without blemish. It is a face, of course. And for me, the faces with some age and some worry lines are often more interesting. My apology to the photographer for being a little inarticulate.

It takes a lot to ruffle my feathers. I understood what you were intonating and I think because of this word interface and not a verbal interation, we just crossed pens in what we meant and what we said. It's all good.

It is a high sale item which helps at shows because I know I am going to sell certain images and it provides the venue to introduce new images along the way. Of late, my platinum/palladiums are keeping me in food and gas money. I think people like the image because they can readily identify with its plainess. It keeps them from having to think, and just respond.

Chris Calohan said:

Be that as it may, I sell at least one copy of this image at every show I do... Baptists love it. Different strokes for different folks makes the world go round...it doesn't make it an above reproach photograph, it just means there are those folks who like church pics.

Click to expand...

Exactly my point, Chris. Baptist money is as good as any.

Around here, it is way better than most. We have two Baptist churches that cover over two and half city blocks each and a plethora of others inbetween. The countryside around here is dotted with small churches just like this one.