The Church of the Good Shepherd, built in 1935, sits on the shores of Lake Tekapo in New Zealand. It is a small and simple stone church, and at first glance there seems to be nothing particularly remarkable about it. Yet visitors from all over the world make the journey here, making it surprisingly difficult to capture a photo without other people in the frame.
So what makes this little church so special? I believe it is its breathtaking location. Set against the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo and the Southern Alps, the church becomes especially enchanting at sunrise and sunset when the changing light brings warmth and colour to the landscape.
Photographers are drawn not only to the church itself but also to the many ways it can be composed. Different perspectives; from low angles to wider views, help create depth and lead the eye through the scene. Including people in the frame or using the church against the vast backdrop of the lake and mountains adds a sense of scale, reminding us how small this humble chapel is compared with the grandeur of its surroundings.
It is this combination of perspective, depth, leading lines and scale that transforms a simple church into one of New Zealand’s most photographed and Instagram-worthy landmarks.
This week’s theme is from Johnbo, who encourages us to make use of the Tools of Photography Composition like Perspective, Depth and Scale.
It is a picturesque church!
Thanks so much Darlene, I really liked it too!
Great choice for the challenge. The last image has dramatic scale and depth.
Thanks so much Nes.
A perfect subject to focus on the challenge topics, Teresa. For some reason, two of your images show blank for me, the first and the third. Also, your featured photo on the right is missing. I tried both Firefox and Chrome browsers.
It does that to me sometimes too. Maybe it is just the internet speed. I usually use Firefox. I don’t know how to fix it though. Thanks Johnbo.
It seems the tech gremlins are at it again! I know the feeling.
I did some tweaks and if you got the time maybe you can look back at it if it’s working. Thanks Johnbo.
The featured photo is now on the left, and in your opening image. The third image is still blank (I’m in Firefox now).
Thanks for helping me out John. The Gremlins are giving me a hard time haha
Very clever thinking to take a single subject and show how photographing it from different perspectives alters our perceptions of it. and the warm glow on the stones is lovely – I can see why people would want to come here!
Thanks so much Sarah. It is such a charming church and the landscape is amazing too. I got some inspiration from fellow bloggers as to what to post.