Saint John the Baptist

Another of my favorite things to photograph are Cathedrals. It’s not an expression of religious faith that drives me to pursue this but instead it’s a deep appreciation of the immense architectural beauty that can be found in many of the cathedrals around the world.

On a recent family trip to Savannah Georgia, I wanted to go to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. This particular cathedral was built in the mid-1800s and I had seen photos that led me to believe it was truly spectacular. Many times, when I go to a cathedral, I’m not questioned by anyone and I’m able to do the photos I want. This time, I was in store for a challenge.

Before going to a cathedral, I always check to see what the mass schedule is and I try to go between services to avoid as many people as possible. When I first arrived at St. John the Baptist, early one afternoon, there was a wedding in progress. It was raining that day and there wasn’t a lot for us to do outdoors.  So, we went to a local museum and then had some awesome ice cream at Leopold’s.

I decided to go back to the cathedral, this time I’m greeted at the door and am told the wedding photographer is still taking photos of the couple. But I could go in so long as I didn’t interfere. I was really surprised they were still doing photos after several hours but maybe they were just being thorough. I went in and was amazed at the beauty of the cathedral. After taking it all in for a few minutes I shot a few photos while trying to stay out of the way of the wedding photos. But, I left somewhat unfulfilled, I couldn’t get the shots I wanted and going back would be difficult because I was running out of time.

I woke early the next morning, Sunday, and went back to the cathedral. I got there about 7am and the first mass was at 8am. As I went in, a custodial person greeted me and asked if I wanted to take some photos (I suppose the camera and tripod in my hands tipped him off). I said yes but asked if the lights would be turned on anytime soon, he took care of that for me and then I had the run of the place. After a few minutes, I heard the organist rehearsing up in the balcony. I really wanted to shoot a few photos from the balcony but hadn’t been able to get up there and now the organist was there. After about 20 minutes, the custodian swung by where I was and asked how I was doing, and just then I heard the organ stop playing. I told the custodian I was doing fine and asked if it’d be possible to go in the balcony. He relayed my request to the organist who, then, came over to me. He said I could go up to the balcony but I needed to be finished within 15 minutes because he didn’t want anyone up there when folks started arriving for mass. I thanked him and assured him I’d be done in less time than that.

A little persistence paid off and I finally got the shots I wanted. It was time to go meet the family for breakfast! 

 

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Gary Stiles.