Another Image from the Redlands California LDS Temple. I thought the backlight for the roses was cool, but even better with the Framing from the wrought iron fence. Here are a few more from the same fence.
Thanks for looking,
EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/320) Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 154 mm ISO Speed: 400 Exposure Bias: 0 EV
I have been on a bit of a kick with regards to LDS Temples and the images that are made of the Temples. I feel like members of the church who carry a camera can do more with our images of the temples then the standard view. There are some great details that are a part of the temples that the church builds. A lot goes into these buildings and they are really beautiful buildings. I am not saying that I take the best images, I am saying that I want to do more with these great buildings to show their unique beauty and amazing grace.
Above is an image I made of the Redlands California Temple. I will include some past images that I made at the Newport Beach, Oakland and Washington D.C. Temples. I love the pics of the doors on the D.C. temple and the dedication year on the Oakland. But my favorite, is the shots with the Angel Moroni and Holiness from the Newport Beach Temple.
Thanks for looking.
EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640) Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 154 mm ISO Speed: 400 Exposure Bias: 0 EV
This might be the last day I make you look at these wedding images. But then again, It may not. This is after we got through all of the family group pics, which I don't like as well. But this image came out great!. I like that you can see his wedding ring and the little smirk on his face. They really were great to shoot.
OK, tomorrow will be the last day of wedding images.
Thanks for looking.
EXIF Data,
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200) Aperture: f/1.6 Focal Length: 50 mm ISO Speed: 200 Exposure Bias: 0 EV
All LDS Temples have a bit of writing on the outside, Holiness To The Lord. They mostly all also have an Angel Moroni statue on the highest spire with a trumpet. For the LDS, he is a herald to the world of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The idea is from a passage in Revelations about an angel who would preach the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Given the sacred nature that the LDS accord to their temples, the symbolism is becoming iconic to the LDS faith.
How do you bring down an icon and photograph it with respect and honor? For photographers, there are not many opportunities from the ground level to frame the angel and the temple in a way that is different or interesting. Most pictures of the temples end up showing the building from a distance. And they do lend themselves to grand big shots. But that is about all that I see in pictures of the temples. Since they are relatively newer then the great cathedrals, and the interiors are not accessible to the general public, they do not get the attention that they are due.
The out takes have some shots that show the statue and spire in more tradition ways, I have posted already other shots that I have taken of the temples in thier whole, but I have been trying to find the shots that are different and lend a new perspective to these highly significant places to the LDS faith.
There are some other folks out there shooting the temples and other themes that come up are the Temple Doors, the Lighting (they are always well lit at night) and the spires. Next time you are near one, see what you can find that might lend a new veiw to a subject that is not as well studied as so many others out there.
For improvements, I think that the light material coupled with the sky make this a though shot. I shot these planning to convert to Black and White and then force the simplicity of the shots to be the focus. I even shot a higher ISO to get a little grain. Black and White is tough when there is too much grey, and that was what happened. This shot is different in perspective, but might have shot better at night or early morning when the rising sun would be on the temple wall . This was an afternoon shot, I would have rather returned and shot later, but I couldn't get back. For next time I will try that. In the out takes, the one with the spire front lit seems to have the best exposure, but my favorite is this one. and the one from a few days ago with the fountain and the spire.
Thanks for looking.
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Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30) Aperture: f/29 Focal Length: 55 mm ISO Speed: 800 Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
I am finally getting around to playing with some of the images from the little trip that we took to the Newport Beach Temple. It really is a peaceful place. As I was coming around the fountain, I saw my daughter playing in the reflecting pool and the shot just seemed to come on its own. I wanted to capture the reflections of the water on the water and marble. I also took this shot imagining that I would work in Black and White for this image. The backlight on the water and the opportunity to have a dark background were what I was hoping for when I shot these. I even shot at ISO 800 trying to have a little more grain to the shot. The aperture was wide open the metering was pushing for a fast exposure. I was going for a contrasty kind of feel that let you focus on the girl and the reflections.
Temples are for the LDS faith a special place. They hold more significance then the meeting houses or chapels that are used every Sunday. The most sacred ordinance happen in the temples. The most sacred thing for an member of the LDS faith is the forming of a family, blessed by God. It is called sealing. The members of the LDS faith believe that the bonds that are sealed on earth by God, will still hold in the next life. As a father, I must admit, that is one of the most compelling teachings. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, all of these things are made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The significance that the LDS faith places on forming these everlasting bonds in these special places really lends to creating a peaceful place. A place to focus on what is of real value in this life.
As always, thanks for looking.
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Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi Exposure: 1/2500 sec Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 55 mm ISO Speed: 800 Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
It is already, a month in to this and I have so many places and ideas to shoot, and so little time. I meant to post this last week, but got distracted and never pulled this off the camera.
As a family, we went on a Sunday afternoon to see this Temple which is so close to us. We have been so busy of late that we just needed to get out as a family and get away from everything. We had a great day.
There is a fountain at this temple to the side, and I tried a few different things but this is the only one that I like. The Angel Moroni Statue glows and the contrast of the water and sky with the spire seem to give the image interest.
Below are the out takes. The photo with the red flowers would have been better if I had changed my aperture. It was so wide open that the camera could not expose the foreground as well as the temple. Next time. I also would have liked to have been there an hour later and I think the lighting would have been better.
As always, thanks for looking.
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| Camera: | Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi |
| Exposure: | 1/3200 sec |
| Aperture: | f/8 |
| Focal Length: | 105 mm |
| ISO Speed: | 800 |
| Exposure Bias: | 0/3 EV |
On our way home from the big Thanksgiving bash with my family, we came down the 99 instead of the 5 so that we could stop by one of the newer little temples that the LDS church is building in an attempt to make temple worship easier. Our church has always build the temples as the great and grand buildings that they are. For us they offer the ordinances that are most key to our religion. When we are married in the temple, we are married forever, not until death do us part. I can imagine nothing that scares me more then the separation of my family after this life. So, we stop at temples with our family and take pictures in front of them as a fun way to discuss the real significance they hold in our religious life with our children. We have on our walls pictures of us in front of 8 temples now.
As we were leaving, the sun was just setting and it was overcast. The parking lot lights had just come on and the lights with the few rays of sun that were breaking through the clouds as we left seemed to make the leaves on this tree just sing. They were so vibrant. I just noticed them because I was trying to use them to frame up the Angel Moroni on the top of the temple, but it wasn't working. But these had such color, that I swapped lenses and took the picture. I love how vibrant they came out. I also posted below the Angel Moroni, which I converted to B&W due to the overcast day to make it pop. It did not work the way that I wanted.
Thanks for looking.
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Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8) Aperture: f/16 Focal Length: 55 mm ISO Speed: 400 Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
| Camera: | Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi |
| Exposure: | 0.008 sec (1/125) |
| Aperture: | f/10 |
| Focal Length: | 37 mm |
| ISO Speed: | 400 |
| Exposure Bias: | 0/3 EV |
Here we have a picture of the St George Utah LDS temple at sunrise. Recently I went on a trip to Zion National Park and we stayed in the condo of some good friends in St George. I have started to research places that I go on Flickr and the internet for picture ideas and got this one from this picture. I wish that I would have paid more attention to the idea picture as he used forground to hide the trees and shadow, where I had to use the creative crop. I also skewed and transformed the image in photoshop elements to overcome the lack of a tilt and skew lens. I don't often notice this correction being done. In fact I usually see the narrowing toward the top of most buildings as people have come to expect it. I think that I like that view when I shoot a really tall building from close by and am looking up at it as an artistic idea, but when I am shooting from a distance, I like to correct for the curve of the lens and angle of the shot.Dawn Breaks over the St. George Temple, originally uploaded by Todd Keith.
The original by Todd Keith was taken in August and I was shooting in October The sun seems to have come from a little different vantage point for me. I decided to blog the shot from the rear since there is a great big shadow that comes up with the sun from the Visitors Center and the Tree just in front of it at this time of year. There were in this shot plenty of shadows and trees in the way, so I went with this cropping. I shot this from the front as well and it did not come out to well because of the shadow. I also shot this before sunrise and that came out nicely as well. I posted that below. I would like to return and reshoot it in the dark from a few different angles and vantage points. I also went up to the airport and tried to shoot the illuminated Temple from up there, unfortunately, I did not have my long lens with me and I did not get the shot that I could see in my head. Maybe next time. I will be driving through and back on a trip to Salt Lake City this coming April.
| Camera: | Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi |
| Exposure: | 0.01 sec (1/100) |
| Aperture: | f/6.3 |
| Focal Length: | 21 mm |
| ISO Speed: | 200 |
| Exposure Bias: | 0/3 EV |
