Tuesday, October 11, 2011

black and whites from Bruder Klaus Chapel

What a day. Woke up at 5 AM to catch the first train out to Mechernich. Sunrise came a littler later than I expected so I arrived at the Bruder Klaus Chapel at a great time. The funny thing was, there was already someone there photographing before me (at 7:30 AM). Needless to say this place sees a lot of visitors, and pictures come out pretty well with the light and scenic setting if you're there at a good time.

Here are the black and whites from the day.












The only thing I find deceptive about these photos is that the chapel doesn't feel as monolithic as it presents itself here. The surrounding trees, though set back a bit, provide a consistency of scale to which the chapel is always compared. It is immediately visible on the approach from a distant parking lot, which sits several meters below the base of the chapel. This vantage point positions the peak of the roof to sit slightly below that of the tree line (picture 1). Continuing up the path, no matter which direction you choose, the chapel always cuts through a line of trees beyond it. This reference to scale stays with you, making the building feel monolithic upon reaching it only if you haven't walked its path (i.e. as an observer of this post, seeing photographs 1, 2, 4, and 5). If there is any intimidation as a visitor, that feeling is quickly counteracted upon entering the space. What result stays with you the rest of the way (and I do mean, the rest of the way).

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