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| Prominent Steeples in Zurich, Switzerland Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
MAYBE TOO many. 😊 It is not hard to see why churches figure so fully into sightseeing around the world. They tend to be the foremost specimina of the historical development of art and architecture, being possibly rivaled only by some of the impressive palaces around the world. I have seen some pretty cool churches, from simple to ornate, and have only sometimes felt that my photography of them did them justice. The shots in this blog are by no means all of my images. I have shot 100's of churches over the world. And I will continue to add to that collection as time goes on. These are just a few of them That "curated" just for this post. This is the first in a series of posts where I showcase some of the very different "churches" I have had the pleasure of visiting all over the world.
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| St. Colman's Cathedral - Cobh, Ireland Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
ONE OF my favorites around the world, and perhaps the most imposing steeple I have observed, is St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh, Ireland. The tall, gothic steeple reaches around 300 feet into the sky. It is the tallest church in the Republic of Ireland.
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| St. Patrick's Cathedral - Dublin, Ireland Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
THAT IS - to my way of thinking - the major positive of seeing all these churches around the world. They tend to make wonderful photographic subjects, if you can find an interesting viewpoint. They stay put, and so with few exceptions, you can try to time your shooting to the rigth conditions. Lighting (both natural and artificial) often lends drama and depth to them.
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| St. Paul's Cathedral - London, England Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
CHURCHES AND similar religious architecture, as is true of religion in general, have always been front and center in every civilization. No matter the religious leaning, it is nearly impossible to visit any primary city (as well as most smaller towns) without a steeple or spire (or more) being prominently seen from nearly everywhere in the vicinity, reaching - as it were - to the heavens.
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| Westminster Abbey - Westminster; London, England Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
CHURCHES REPRESENT every developing phase of architecture, beginning with the ancient pyramids and continuing through the Middle Ages (with such Medieval "period" architecture as Gothic, Byzantine, and Romanesque), the Renaissance ("neo-Gothic," Baroque), the Neo-Classic and modern periods. At the same time, particularly during the Medieval and Renaissance periods, there were also many examples of Moorish architecture, largely brought by the Muslims from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and in the eastern Asian part of the worlds, influence from Asian architecture (particular Japan, China and Korea).
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| Chandeliers and stained glass windows lend color to the otherwise very gothic appearing La Segrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
WITH THE notable exception of Asian (Japan, Korea, China) shrines, bright colors are not a primary feature of most churches. It does, however, serve its ornamental purpose in the form of paintings, tapestries, and stained glass windows.
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| Understated but nonetheless colorful chandelier and stained glass windows highllight the monotone organ pipes and organic interior of Trondheim, Norway's Nidaros Cathedral Copyright Andy Richards 2025 - All Rights Reserved |
IN MY own travel experience, architecture seems to inform history, and the architecture of Northern and Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa , North America and South America are all quite different. And churches generally are the first buildings erected in any historical civilization. Thus "European" churches tend to come more from gothic traditions and origins, as modified by subsequent periods, like neo classic.
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| One of the oldest churches in the world; The Chruch of the Holy Apostles sits in the center of the Roman Agora in Athens, Greece Copyright Andy Richards - 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
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| The Front side of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France - photographed in 2019 shortly after the fire. The back side was all scaffolding and charred timber remnants. Hopefully my upcoming trip to Paris in 2026 will afford the opportunity to photograph the newly completed building. Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
TWO OF Europe's keystone churches, St. Paul's Cathedral in London and Notre Dame in Paris were substantially destroyed by fire: the older, much smaller, original St. Paul's by the 17th century great fire of London, and Notre Dame (which sustained major damage to its wood framed upper story and roof) in the more recent, 2019 fire.
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| The distinctly gothic "St. Vitus Cathedral" in Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 14th Century Copyright Andy Richards |
EUROPEAN CHURCHES seem to me to be more grandiose. Large and imposing, they almost always reflect the trends of art and architecture of the times, often designed by some of the great, European artists. I believe symbolism is a huge part of the design of all churches. Grandiose shows, in my view, the power of the god for which the church was built. Many of the European churches are also packed with small instances of what might be called "micro" symbolism.
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| St. Mark's Cathedral - Venice, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
IN OTHER parts of the world, churches symbolize a much simpler approach and view of the religion, though perhaps also highly influenced by practicality (like the availability of building materials). Thus, we see a huge proliferation of simple, white-steepled ("New England" styled) churches in the small communities around the United States, and in some parts of Northern Europe. Photographically, I am often drawn to these simpler structures by their straightforward lines and shapes. As they are often white, I look for context that will frame and give the photo some variety and interest.
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| What remains of the original St. Paul's Church, London, England Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
NOWHERE HAVE I ever experienced symbolism more starkly, however than in Asia (in my case, primarily Japan, but I know Korea, China, and I am certain other countries in that part of the world showcase similar architecture).shrines' most salient characteristics are the characteristic shapes, and bright colors (particularly red, vermillion, green and golds). And they are next.
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