eclectic imaging
St. Aposteln, Ceiling
Posted by MadScientist (Düsseldorf, Germany) on 31 January 2009 in Architecture.
Unfortunately they weren't exactly centered, but so you can convince yourself of St. Aposteln's kneelers being good handcraft.
Download my coffee-table book of selected postings here. Enjoy!
zahai from Berlin, Germany
Love the angle you chose. Beautiful symmetry, and a great example for what you might miss if you walk through the world without looking up :)
31 Jan 2009 11:19am
@zahai: So ist es! In Cologne you sometime can find a slogan on the pavement, saying: Raise your head! :)
Batkoï from Salon de Provence, France
superb shot, very well composed, the point of view is so original. most of the time we don't shoot the ceiling.
31 Jan 2009 4:07pm
@Batkoï: Like it? Here's more!
@jim: That's quite normal. If you find ceiling frescos in an old (that means: 500+ years) church, they usually have been added in the 19th century. Historicism liked colours! It's extremely seldom to find original paintings, often they went lost through demolition or overpainting. The church you can see here is more or less a reconstruction of the original; this original had been equipped with 'Byzantine' painting from the 19th century (which would look rather shocking to our eyes) before it was destroyed in the war. I personally like the unobtrusive design, as our cities got so visually 'loud' in the last decades, so visiting a church also means enterering a space of tranquility. There are exceptions, though: we'll see it as of tomorrow.
Stephanie from Toronto, Canada
Oh wow, this is really eye-catching! Ceiling shots can sometimes seem flat (at least the ones I've taken in the past!), but you've totally kept the perspective. Great shot!
31 Jan 2009 5:30pm
@Stephanie: Thanks, Stephanie! Investing some money in a remote release and a few seconds of exposure is all you need. Actually this type of shot is very simple, you don't even need a tripod (and you don't even have to lie on the floor!) ;-)
Alphons from Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands
Very strong picture, it's so overwhelming, it makes you almost dizzy.
31 Jan 2009 7:29pm
@Alphons: You will like tomorrow's shot! :-)
PD from Overland Park, Kansas, United States
NIce job again with this ceiling! I like the light coming in the windows
31 Jan 2009 10:18pm
@PD: I've learnt somethng here: remembering this problematic shot, I now know that low light is better for this type of photograph than full sun burning through the windows. This shot is almost unedited, and in comparison to the one mentioned above there are no 'black holes', despite the rather unlit choir section in the lower part of the image.
Linerberry from Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand
Almost like an optical illusion!! Wonderful angle ms:-)
31 Jan 2009 11:39pm
@Linerberry: Don't miss tomorrow's shot! :-)
@Ron: Thanks, Ron!
@Michael Skorulski: Many thanks, Michael!
@Twelvebit: The ceiling is not that high - we're actually seeing only a small fraction of it here.
Steven from Chicagoland, United States
It's always nice to see a vantage point captured that is rarely shared, but always ends up interesting. Love all the lines expressed here.
5 Feb 2009 2:29pm
@Steven: I never leave a church without a ceiling shot. :-)
Canon EOS 40D
4 seconds
F/10.0
ISO 100
10 mm