Old First Baptist Church

vintagemxr

First Baptist Church founded in 1937. Coolidge, AZ, 2010.

Olympus PEN E-PL1 w/14-14mm

C&C always appreciated.

Doug

jiro

I like the way you set up your exposure and b&w conversion. I'm just not so sure about the composition, though. Maybe some isometric angled shots? Just an opinion Sir.

NewEnglandMoments

jiro wrote: »

I like the way you set up your exposure and b&w conversion. I'm just not so sure about the composition, though. Maybe some isometric angled shots? Just an opinion Sir.

I fall along the same line here on composition... I think without doubt the processing and B+W are Fantastic ...

The B+W definitely works, brings out the feel of old, and Nostalgic, but what the comp lacks for me is space, either right or left... I want to see more of the surroundings, and the feel of desolate, and Mood that the B+W is giving.. I also agree on the angle, I think shooting Straight on certainly didn't hurt the Shot, but some angle would be also nice..

Just Nits, its absolutely a Beautiful B+W Shot!!

Chris H

I love the way you American chaps think 1937 is 'old'. Lovely capture.

vintagemxr

Thanks for the comments guys. The straight on shot composition was intentional, first because I was going for a slightly "American Gothic" feel to the shot. Second, the space to the left of the church was cluttered with debris that didn't add anything to the shot and on the right, a lump of a white van that added even less (it's juuust out of sight in the shot below).

I plan to go back and shoot it again and experiment more with angles and hopefully without vehicles intruding. The building is tilting and I imagine a few more years of termites will be the end of it.

For your consideration, here's a slight angle shot from the group that day:

The angle shot does seem to bring out more of the gables of the roof and make that aspect of the building more interesting.

Chris, old is relative. In a country that only goes back 400 years, 65 years or so seems old, but not compared to your lovely land where the "new" stuff is 400 years old. Of course the Chinese and the Egyptians think we're the new kids on the block.

Doug

Chris H

Doug, you are of course right, I'm prevlidged to live near Edinburgh, anything under 100 years old is considered new. It's a lovely church regardless of age and your contrasty capture really makes it stand out.