_DSC8121
TheoShilton
TheoShilton
Read less
Read less
Aug, 2014Views
1229
Likes
Awards
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Vol 5 Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 30 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Top 30 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken from the front entrance of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. I had to lie down on the floor to get the right angle and include the full spectrum of the church in the 6.5mm fish eye lens viewfinder.Time
This is probably one of my best architectural images. It was shot in the early afternoon so any natural light that was able to enter the cathedral was at a premium. I used a medium aperture to increase the depth of field without having an overly long exposure time.Lighting
I wanted to bring the details of the cathedral to life without compromising the light levels and to also avoid too much post processing in Lightroom. Balancing ISO aperture and shutter speed is always awkward with architectural shots. I always try various combinations out before settling on one or two preferred settings. I always prefer depth of field and detail to anything else in these kinds of shots but sometimes the noise is unprocessable if you have too high an ISO and I was lucky to get away with an ISO of 5000 in this shot.Equipment
I used a Nikon D7000 and a 6.5mm fish eye lens to capture this image. I didn't use any flash or filters in this shot.Inspiration
Notre Dame cathedral is one of Europe's most stunning examples of gothic architecture. The large hall and pillars are perfectly symmetrical making for a great interior shot. The cathedral's sheer size was also one of the main factors that inspired me to capture this image.Editing
I used minimal post processing with this image, all of which was done in Lightroom. I increased the contrast and clarity to enable a deeper depth of field as well as increasing the detail with the sharpening tool. I also had a bit of noise in the extreme corners of this image and a small amount of vignetting of this image helped me minimise its effect.In my camera bag
I carry a Nikon D7000 body and a selection of lenses. For street and people photography I have an excellent Nikon 18-300mm zoom lens which gives me great flexibility when just walking and shooting. This lens gets used a lot for street scenes, people shots and some wildlife images. I have 3 fish eye lenses that are primarily used for architectural shots. I have a 6.5mm and 8mm aspherical style lens that are excellent when a standard wide angle lens is insufficient for the subject. I also like the style these lenses can give to an image making interiors appear slightly curved rather than the normal 10mm lens that can appear awkwardly square. The 10-20mm sigma lens I have is mainly used for exterior shots of architectural subjects. Finally I have a 150-500mm sigma zoom lens that I only take with me when I am looking to capture wildlife. It is extremely flexible and allows me to capture a broad range of subjects when out in the field.Feedback
Always have a good look around the church/cathedral you are shooting before you get your camera out. Most of the time the focal point of a place of worship is at the back of the building although sometimes shooting from the back to the entrance is more visually striking depending on the decor. All religious buildings are different and really looking around before you start is always the best option. Dont feel stupid lying down on the floor. Most of my images of this style are shot when I am lay flat out on the floor (mainly at an awkward angle). You will have to feel comfortable getting some confused looks from members of the public but if it results in a different or more striking image its always worth it. Keep your patience with "snappers" if you are somewhere touristy. I had to wait around 10 minutes for a group of tourists to move on once I had set up in the cathedral. Then a further 5 whilst i was lay flat on the floor trying to get the angle and keep the tourists out of my shot. Just remember they have iphones and you (hopefully) have something better equipped for the situation. Bide your time and find your shot!
