Members of the York Photographic Society were given access to York Minster after hours last year. The result is an exhibition of almost 50 photographs now running in the Minster’s Chapter House. Photographic Society president ALLAN HARRIS reports.

LAST year twenty of us from York Photographic Society were fortunate enough to get into the Minster in the evening after the usual visitors had gone for several hours of photography.

We were able to go twice with different light at times separated by several months. Some of the results of these visits can be seen in the Chapter House of York Minster at present where 46 prints taken by members of the Minster are on show until September 25.

Not all the images in the exhibition are from those evenings. The Minster is a constant source of inspiration at any time of year and there is never any shortage of subject matter inside or outside. But many are.

Taking pictures in the Minster in the evening is challenging but rewarding.

The first, most obvious advantage is the emptiness. When the building is free of the usual crowds, the stillness and atmosphere of the place is overwhelming. Even so concentrating on making good images means that the time really flies. It helps if you have mapped out some photos that you really want to take.

The obvious ones are the Nave, the Quire screen, the East end and Quire (it really is spelt like that), the Orb, monuments in the aisles, the ceilings and the Chapter House.

York Press:
Allan Harris, Chapter House ceiling
 

Two hours flies by as you set up your tripod and frame up for what you hope will be a good photograph.

A tripod really is essential and a wide-angle lens helps, although there is so much detail to see that almost any lens will get something of interest. The technique of HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is useful for the wildly different extremes of light within the building.

York Press:
York Minster in the evening, by Allan Harris


It does help if you can do a recce in the days before the shoot, planning out your photos beforehand so that you don’t waste time on the night.

Evening light changes quickly and before dark, the windows turn a magnificent blue, contrasting with the yellow tungsten light of the cathedral. But the effect is brief and all too soon the windows are only lit by the street lights outside. The artificial light in the Minster is actually pretty good.

What if you have no tripod and are, for instance limited to a ‘point and shoot’ or Smartphone? Pushing the camera to its limits these days will still produce an image. There is always some surface to balance the camera against, ceilings can be taken with the camera balanced on the floor. Better trying to get something than nothing, although you could just sit and let the beauty of the place surround you.

- York Photographic Society Exhibition, Chapter House, York Minster, until September 25. All the prints in the exhibition are donated by the photographers and are on sale to aid Minster funds.

York Press:
Rob Swallow, choir stalls