Tag Archives: church

Photographs: Belgium, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Travel

Stained Glass Light

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Stained Glass Light
“Stained Glass Light” — Beams of colorful light from stained glass windows on the stone floor of the Eglise de Notre-Dame Des Victoire, Brussels.

First impressions on entering old European churches like the Eglise de Notre-Dame Des Victoire in Belgium focus on the architecture, the scale, and the quietness of these places. If you have some time to wander — and you should take that time if you visit them — smaller details start to emerge. Stained glass windows originally provoked me to look up at them, but later I learned to look down at the light they cast.

The first time I understood the projected light was during a late-afternoon visit to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. The low angle of early evening light sent colorful beams of light everywhere. The effect at this smaller Brussels church was not quite as broadly spectacula, but its beauty still caught my attention.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Belgium, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Travel

Eglise de Notre-Dame Des Victoire Interior

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Eglise de Notre-Dame Des Victoire Interior
“Eglise de Notre-Dame Des Victoire” — The interior of the Eglise de Notre-Dame Des Victoire, Brussels.

During our visit to Brussels near the beginning of June, we stayed near the old central part of the city, an area of remarkable architecture, many places to eat… and a whole lot of tourists. In many ways it was a good location — we could easily walk there from the train station, and food options were abundant. But eventually we decided to take a very long walk out of this area.

That eventually took us to quieter neighborhoods and districts and past the Eglise de Notre-Dame Des Victoire, a beautiful older church. Like so many similar European churches, it is architecturally impressive, and I enjoyed photographing it. The light is often beautiful — soft and diffused, with spots of color and direct light coming through stained glass windows.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

St. Pierre Cathedral, Autumn Tree

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St. Pierre Cathedral, Autumn Tree, Montpellier
“St. Pierre Cathedral, Autumn Tree” — A nearly bare autumn tree in front of the St. Pierre Cathedral, Montpellier, France.

This is another photograph from our walk past the impressive St. Pierre Cathedral in Montpellier, France when we visited this past December. Our walk first took us the monumental south end of the cathedral, an imposing structure with two gigantic columns supporting an exterior arch. From there we continued around the east side, where it was still mostly quiet. Rounding the north end, we saw much more vegetation, including this tree with the last few autumn leaves.

I decided to go with a monochromatic interpretation of this photo of a detail of the north end of the cathedral. The main challenge was in how to make the leaves more visible, but we do have more leeway in post with black and white. Here I essentially applied a filter (as we used to do at the time of exposure) to brighten the tones of the leaves.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Woman and Cathedral Columns

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Woman and Cathedral Columns
“Woman and Cathedral Columns” — A woman walks past immense columns at the St. Pierre Cathedral, Montpellier.

Montpellier’s huge St. Pierre Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Montpellier) is a historic Catholic Church in gothic style that was established almost 750 years ago. The south facade features a high exterior arch supported by these two gigantic round columns and topped with very pointed roof caps.

Such churches often seem to be found in the centers of historic districts cities like this, but in Montpellier it is a bit off to the side. When we visited there few people were walking near the cathedral, aside from a few passers-by and a couple of people entering the church. (We did not go inside since it wasn’t open for visits.) I photographed this woman walking past the base of one of the columns.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

2 responses to “Woman and Cathedral Columns”

  1. CRAIG W MYERS Avatar
    CRAIG W MYERS

    This is riveting, Dan. The difference in magnitude between the solitary figure against the column, the muted tones that still deliver depth, and the graduated vertical play of light combine to create an engaging and beautiful image.

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    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      Thanks, Craig. Those columns are absolutely massive, and I was happy when the woman walked past and introduced a sense of their real size.

      Dan

      Reply

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