Blood Moon

Blood Moon

by | Oct 8, 2014

The blood moon sets behind the cross atop St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville. My Final Photo for Oct. 8, 2014.

The blood moon sets behind the cross atop St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville. My Final Photo for Oct. 8, 2014.

Blood Moon

Blood Moon

by | Oct 8, 2014

The blood moon sets behind the cross atop St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville. My Final Photo for Oct. 8, 2014.

The blood moon sets behind the cross atop St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville. My Final Photo for Oct. 8, 2014.

Through open doors

Through open doors

by | Aug 24, 2014

A father and son enter St. Paul Catholic Church for morning Mass through doors opened after the air conditioning failed. My Final Photo for August 24, 2014.

A father and son enter St. Paul Catholic Church for morning Mass through doors opened after the air conditioning failed. My Final Photo for August 24, 2014.

An early My Final Photo

An early My Final Photo

by | Mar 31, 2013

Traffic at Easter morning Mass at St. Paul.

Traffic at Easter morning Mass at St. Paul.

He is Risen. and stuck in traffic in the parking lot.

Unless something appears that is radically better than this frame, this is the earliest yet that I’ve posted My Final Photo.

The photo of a packed parking lot with the transit of cars from two Masses attempting to quickly navigate roadways designed for more moderate traffic completes my 40 Days of Lent series that began Ash Wednesday and is finished today.

I’m not sure how many photos I shot during the daily visits to the church. I do know that I’m probably among a small number of parishioners who’ve visited the church every day for Lent. I’m positive I’m the only one who did it with a camera.

Good Friday Blessings at St. Paul

Good Friday Blessings at St. Paul

by | Mar 29, 2013

Sun sets behind cross spire at St. Paul

Sun sets behind cross spire at St. Paul

Good Friday is a unique day for Catholics for more than all the obvious Easter related reasons.

This is the day the Tabernacle sits empty. It is the only day when the Blessed Sacrament is not in the church revered and protected in its place at the altar.

All adornment is removed, covered , or extinguished. Altar cloths are removed. Candles are extinguished. Statues are covered in purple cloth.

The celebration of the presence of Christ is removed from the church. For one day it is emptied of faith.

My original idea for My Final Photo was very simple. I’d shoot the empty Tabernacle to illustrate the dramatic change in the church. And I’d shoot a couple of the statues now draped in purple with the normal presence of prayer candles at their sides. This was an easy part of the day. Not too much difficulty in either of these photos.

I left the church for a short side trip before going home for a fish dinner but quickly returned when the clouds changed as sunset approached. I knew there would be  difficulty shooting the church with the sun radiating through the clouds behind it. The church is great to see, but there are a lot of objects in the foreground that can be distracting for a photographer. Plus, any shooting position is from a lower angle than  the church so the cross spire only shows if you shoot it from an oblique angle.

Fortunately, or blessedly if you’re faithful, the clouds moved through a variety of configurations with the cross atop the church framed by openings in the clouds and with the sun moving across the sky behind it.

I was late for dinner. I was blessed on a day the church was empty.

Generations dancers in Alum Creek Park are My Final Photo for June 19, 2013.
Generations dancers finish their July Fourth Friday set with kids and parents pulled from the crowd. My Final Photo for July 26, 2013.
Dancers at Generations are a blur as they practice selections from "The Wiz" for their next recital. My Final Photo for Sept. 20, 2013.
A young dancer at Generations Arts stretches before practice for the annual Christmas concert. My Final Photo for Nov. 25, 2013.
Tow dancers at Generations listen attentively as they receive instructions for a specific moment in their recital dances scheduled for the weekend. My Final Photo for Dec. 3, 2013.
A floor installer sands and cleans the poplar floors at Generations dance studio in preparation for being resealed while the students are taking time off for the Christmas holiday. My Final Photo for Dec. 21, 2013.
A trio of young dancers at Generations hide their eyes to only listen one of their classmates as they each perform a solo version of their group tap dance routine during practice. My Final Photo for Jan. 29, 2014.
A young dancer poses for one more photograph during photo day at Generations dance studio in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for Feb. 10, 2014.
A dancer standing beneath a small tapestry of younger dancers listens to instructions during a late afternoon class at Generations. My Final Photo for Feb. 19, 2014.
It was tap class at Generations Performing Arts. My Final Photo for Feb. 26, 2014.
Under the tutelage of an older dancer a young ballerina waits for her cue to join other dancers on stage during recital rehearsals for Generations end of year performance. My Final Photo for May 2, 2014.
Pregnant dancer Stefani Crea leads a class at Generations Performing Arts Center through the fine points of positions. Crea is 8 months pregnant. My Final Photo for May 21, 2014.
Generations Performing Arts dancers complete their routine during Fourth Friday in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for May 23, 2014.
Dancers from Generations use the flower baskets along Jimmy V's patio wall as their barre as they practice outdoors during a summer class. My Final Photo for June 25, 2014.
Dancers at Generations Performing Arts Center practice in front of a full-length mirror with words designed to help them with technique, style, and attitude in their performances. My Final Photo for Sept. 2, 2014.
Dancers at Generations watch from a doorway as their friends and fellow dancers finish their afternoon lessons. My Final Photo for Oct. 9, 2014.
A dancer gets a little assistance during the tumbling portion of class at Generations. My Final Photo for Nov. 13, 2014.
A dancer's father dutifully waits on one of the benches in the cold for his daughter to finish her evening class at Generations in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for Jan. 15, 2015.
Dancer Chantelle stands in the glow of sunset after her performance on College Ave. with Generations dancers as part of the years first Fourth Friday block party. My Final Photo for April 24, 2015.
Jazmine Pfeifer of Generations Performing Arts Center photographs four of her dancers who leap in the crosswalk on Main St. at Otterbein University. My Final Photo for June 18, 2015.
Eight-year-old Elle smiles as her father, Andrew Shroads, combs her hair before putting it into a dancer's bun for her dance class at Generations Performing Arts Center in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for Aug. 20, 2015.
A mother uses one arm to steady her sleeping son while using the other to transfer notes from phone to paper as they both wait for another child to finish her performances in Generations PAC dance exhibition during Fourth Friday. My Final Photo for Sept. 25, 2015.
Dancers at Generations practice their ballet skills in this blurred exposure during an afternoon class. My Final Photo for Sept. 29, 2015.
Dancers at Generations practice their ballet skills in this blurred exposure during an afternoon class. My Final Photo for Sept. 29, 2015.

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The collection for Good Friday is available at SmallTown Stock.