University College Chapel – East Window

My first stab at (almost) an entire window warrants a before and after look.  I was ambivalent about the support bars, and despite there being only two or three per light, I opted to leave them in as they do not detract (much) from the image.  Now, as I type this, I find myself questioning that decision.  Perhaps at a later date I might re-edit the image, but for the time being they remain.

Scenes from the Passion (Arthur & Michael O’Connor, 1864) University College Chapel

This blog does not do the five lights sufficient justice, so below is the window split into three, running from left to right:

I am surprised by the lack of support bars – based upon previous experiences, I would have anticipated four or five per light, but instead there are two or perhaps three, with an extensive area of unsupported glass in the middle.  Perhaps this is a feature of Arthur & Michael O’Connor lights – as these are the first that I have (knowingly) seen, it is hard to tell without further research.

The presence of two candelabras necessitated the photograph to be taken from an off-centre position to the left of the window, leaving the candelabra chain running between the fourth and fifth light.  The existence of raised pews and high kneelers at the west end facilitated a pleasingly high tripod location, some 4m off the ground.  As a result, there was only minimal post-production perspective control required, with a minor amount of converging verticals and not too much horizontal convergence, with the degradation in image quality being difficult to notice.

A total of 18 images were shot at 148mm using the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, at an aperture of f/8.0 and exposure times ranging from 1/50 s to 1s.