This is the ceiling of Salisbury Cathedral in England, and I shot this with a 14mm lens. The reason there is a blue cast is because I shot this picture on tungsten white balance, and the daylight coming in through the windows of the cathedral responded by going blue. Many photographers eliminate the blue color in post-processing, but I think it adds a beautiful artistry to the picture. I specifically chose tungsten WB to get this blue color. There were some incandescent lights placed strategically in the ceiling, and that's where the warm, golden color comes from. This contrast between blue and yellow is what makes this picture so strong.
7 Comments
Mar 25, 2016, 11:07:09 AM
Frederic Hore - Really like your point of view here Jim, and the decision to use a different white balance to create a different effect, look and "feel." Superb! I frequently do this too.
FYI for cathedrals and places that do not let you use a tripod to take photos such as the ceiling, I came up with another solution - just lay the camera on its back on the floor pointed up at the ceiling, and trip the shutter with a shutter release cord, or radio controlled remote release like a Pocket Wizard. I use the lines in the tiles, or the parquet flooring design to align my camera. Some times it takes a few pics to get perfect alignment.
I used this same technique in the Chateau de Versailles to take photos of the massive fresco ceiling in the Hercules room with a 14mm lens. The tourists even co-operated by moving away from my camera!
Cheers and thanks!
Frederic Hore
Montréal, Canada
Mar 25, 2016, 10:15:26 AM
Jim - Thanks very much, Frederic.
Mar 25, 2016, 7:23:33 AM
Bonnie Davidson - Jim, when you're in a building like this and want to shoot straight up, are you able to point your tripod up? I have a difficult time shoot straight up, since I'm guessing you're using a low shutter speed & need the tripod. Could you give some guidance on this in one of your blogs?
They all add more knowledge to those of us aspiring to get the best picture.
Thanks,
Bonnie
Mar 25, 2016, 7:04:49 AM
jim - Thank you, Cookie. No, definitely not your run of the mill church! Europe is full of awesome cathedral ceilings -- one of my favorite things to shoot in all of the European countries.
Mar 25, 2016, 7:01:59 AM
Jim - Thank you, Bob.
Bonnie --Some cathedrals allow the use of a tripod, and if that's the case, you can shoot straight up with a low ISO and the shutter speed doesn't matter because you are on a tripod. I used a tripod for this shot, and the ball head can swivel in such a way that the camera can be angled upward. It really helps to have a 90 degree angle finder, though, so you don't have to twist your neck in ways God never intended! If no tripods are allowed, then the only option is to raise the ISO until the shutter speed is fast enough to get a sharp picture.
Mar 25, 2016, 5:21:45 AM
Cookie - Wow! Not your run of the mill Church. Breathtaking…love the natural lighting….blue. Thanks
Mar 25, 2016, 1:43:42 AM
Bob Vestal - This is stunning, Jim. Good advice to try altering white balance (or setting color temperature) intentionally for unique and beautiful effect. Also, I can see the value of the 14 mm lens to obtain the ultra-wide perspective..