Tagged C from Frizztext at Flickr Comments. A weekly challenge … by alphabet. My first contribution in this challenge.

I have been wanting to experiment with black and white images. For this weekly challenge I have decided to post black and white photos through the alphabet. As I take my photos in colour, I am editing some to black and white. It’s interesting to see different perspectives.

C is for Church.

Driving through Cleveland in the bay area of Brisbane this week, an old Anglican church caught my eye. In white plaster against a grey sky it showed as black and white. However I edited to remove the last tones of green that filtered through. I have a love of architecture. It was in fact my first choice career wise but didn’t eventuate for a variety of reasons. Yet my love and appreciation remains.

Churches fascinate me. Reading ‘Pillars of the Earth’ by Ken Follett many years ago was a fascinating insight, fictional of course, into the building of Englands fine cathedrals. Travelling through England and Europe many years ago afforded incredible opportunities to visit a variety of churches. Of course at that time, photos were all in print media. Salisbury Cathedral was of course stirring. I recall my then 7 year old daughter commenting loudly on seeing the scaffolding surrounding part of it, and being told that it was very old, “It’s still not finished”. I smile still when I recall her comment. Through the eyes of a child

Rome’s visited to the Vatican created intense feelings in me. Loathing, anger and disgust. Gold work everywhere. Imagery and incredible art works in the cold church threatened to overwhelm me. I had to leave and wait outside. Human-kinds monument to faith was man’s love of material things. Bringing up historical memories of atrocities in the name of God. I have never had a reaction such as this in any church. However, leaving the Vatican and the droning voice of our over-zealous very Catholic guide, we travelled next to the Catacombs. And what an incredibly intense and emotional reaction in complete opposite I felt there.

I felt like falling to my knees in abject sadness. Overwhelmed by the emotions flowing from the church in the ground. Simplicity, total devotion and love. Fear and communion. To me, here was the true church. The meeting place of true followers of the Christ. Tombs heading away from the main vault. Many still unopened.

To this day I still recall the intense feelings both of these churches elicited in me. Yet to wander many other churches was to admire the incredible talent and beauty of man-kinds labour of both love and duty in creating monuments to God in places of worship.

Churches in Australia, in general, are much simpler buildings. Perhaps it was the simplicity of local faith that connected more.

@ Cleveland, Brisbane


@ Corndale, country Queensland


@ Maryborough, Queensland


@ Brisbane, City