I am a bit of a history buff. I enjoy thinking about how generations before me lived, which is why I was fascinated by the interior of this church:
ISO 500 4.15mm f/2.2 1/17 sec
It’s a reimagining of what the church would have looked like in 1520 :
ISO 25 4.15mm f/2.2 1/250
The church is part of St Fagans National Museum of History which is just outside of Cardiff, Wales. It’s an interesting collection of heritage. This museum is unique in that they have collected various buildings and homes from different time periods and parts of Wales and moved them here to this site. Visitors have a chance then to view a wide variety of the history of Wales in one place.
The interior of this church was interesting because it brings to life what it would have looked like in the Middle Ages. Usually, churches from this time just have traces of the paint, and you have to use your imagination as to what the original would have looked like. This particular example brings to life the use of the church almost as a book and guide for those who would not have been able to read.
As for the photos, it was raining that day, and so I had to be selective of when I would take out my larger camera. For most of the day I relied on my iPhone. I keep my phone in a pretty decent case to prevent damage from when it gets dropped. On days like this I also keep in in a very technical waterproof case, a ziplock bag. That meant for the shot of the sign, I just had to slip it out for a moment. The inside of the church was easier as it wasn’t raining in there. The low light and the small interior of the church meant that the iPhone was a good choice for getting a representative shot of church.
I did edit the photo a bit in Photoshop. It’s been sharpened and I also increased the exposure a bit. A large part of why I took the photo was to remember this space. I’ll probably even come back to look at this photo the next time I am in a church that has remnants of a similar style of painting. Have you ever done that, taken a photo as a point of reference, to help you better understand? Do you have a favorite history museum? Feel free to leave a comment below.
Cheers!
Photography Journal Blog 