Cathedral & Church Ceilings – Why You Should Always Look Up

Although my main photographic interest is modern architecture and urban photography, I must admit that I do like a traditional cathedral as a photographic location. There is usually a lot to look at and photograph; plenty of interesting shapes in the structure and what I like especially are the details and decoration in the ceilings and vaulting.

Whenever I visit a cathedral the first thing I do is look up; am I going to want to make a picture of the nave ceiling? After that, and more important, is the treatment of the central tower ceiling – if there is one. Quite often there will be a perfectly square vaulted ceiling with intricate patterns and decorations, and they make an interesting challenge to capture in perfect symmetry; for interesting read difficult! ……………. especially when hand holding the camera.