Photographing area churches

By Rex Dolby

The Wassenberg Camera Club’s next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center. “Churches” will be the competition theme in prints and slides that evening.

Van Wert has a large number of church buildings in and near town that will provide a wide range of architectural and interior details. On Washington Street alone, there are three impressive structures in the First Presbyterian Church, St. Marks Lutheran and Emmanuel Lutheran churches. First United Methodist Church is located just a block west of Washington Street and contains outstanding examples of traditional and contemporary stained glass windows. This is not a large list of potential locations, but they do offer a good place to start.

You need to visit the churches you plan to photograph and determine the best location to shoot the picture. Then note what time of the day the sun will illuminate the sides you plan to shoot. If the side faces north, shoot in the summer when the sun rises in the north east or sets in the north west. Using these notes will help in determining when the best time of the day will be to photograph the interior of the church.

You may want sun streaming in the windows to help illuminate the interior of the church, but if you plan to shoot the windows themselves, avoid direct sun on the windows. The contrast in the light and dark colors will be too great. Pick a time after or before the sun hits the windows, or shoot on a cloudy-bright day. High contrast areas may require two exposures, one for the bright areas and another for the dark areas. These two exposures then could be merged in a photo-editing program.

If you do plan to take interior shots, there are some preliminary things you should do before leaving home. First, contact the church to obtain permission to shoot and ask about their photography policy and best times to photograph. You need to explain to the church how you plan to use the pictures, that they are not for your profit, and that you will not photograph anything that might prompt a thief to steal. If possible, go to the church ahead of time and introduce yourself. Make notes of potential shots and the best time of day to shoot. There may be a Wassenberg Camera Club member that attends that church and can help you with attaining access and give ideas on possible shots.

Library books and web pictures of churches may provide ideas for potential shots. Why not give it a try?

If you have any questions regarding our camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are: Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.