Rural Church
As you’re entering the village of Velina, in the mountains of Corinthos, Greece, you will notice this small church on the left of the road. Its doors are open...
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As you’re entering the village of Velina, in the mountains of Corinthos, Greece, you will notice this small church on the left of the road. Its doors are open to all who visit and those who sit in its small yard get the chance to see this tranquil view. The only thing you can hear is the sound of the wind among the trees.
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May, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the rural village of Velina, which is located in the mountainous range of Corinth, Greece. This almost abandoned church is situated at the entrance of the village.Time
Everytime I visit this village with my family, I always take the time to walk around in the morning and try to take some shots. It was almost midday when I took this shot, having already walked around for a couple of hours in the company of my 11 year-old son. I left this shot for last, right before we returned home to get something to eat.Lighting
The church is surrounded by tall trees and I thought that it would be great if I captured some nice shadows on the building. The sun was to my right but the sky had lots of clouds. At times the clouds parted and the rays of the sun created amazing shadows from the building itself and the surrounding trees. These moments never lasted for long and I was lucky enough to get this shot at the right time.Equipment
This photo was shot with a Nikon D5000 and its 15-55 kit lens. I did not use a tripod, but I kneeled down to get an angle as much in parallel with the building.Inspiration
I can't count the times I visited this village and seeing this church from far away, almost completely hidden among the trees, telling myself "I need to go over there and take a shot". I always postponed my visit for another time, opting to go to places more difficult to walk. On this particular day my son asked me to come along and take some photos with me, so I took an easier path to help him. When we got in front of it, the looks of the church, almost abandoned by the people of the village, immediately got my attention. Right then I thought that there must have been a secret purpose that made me neglect to go there all the previous times, until that particular day. I took it as a sign and tried to capture the best shot possible.Editing
I usually experiment a lot with post-processing, trying different methods and filters before deciding on the look that better suits my taste. This time, it seemed to me that everything was pre-decided in a weird sort of way. I used one filter on Photoshop and it was the right one. I played with colors once and they looked perfect. I was done in ten minutes, although it usually takes me hours to decide what suits which photo best.In my camera bag
Being a city dweller, I carry only my Huawei P8 most of the times. But when we leave the city to go to a village, or when a decide to go for a photo walk on weekends, I carry my Nikon D5000, the 18-55 kit lens and the Nikkor 55-200 with me. In my bag you can also find some ND filters and, strapped on my back, my tripod for the long exposures I love to take.Feedback
Just be in the moment. I know it sounds mystical and even weird, but there will be times when you will be completely in tune with the environment. Something inside you will tell you so and you will know it's the truth. That is the moment when you will get your best shots, effortlessly and mindlessly.
