Last month, at the end of a workshop titled Birds of Colombia, our last stop was in a very colorful and beautiful town in the mountains of the Colombia Andes chain. The town is called Jardin (Garden in English) and has a very interesting cathedral which I went to visit and photograph early in the morning (around 6:30 AM). There was an early mass going on, as well as confessions taking place. This was my first time that I observed a confession going on where there is direct contact between the person and the priest.
The image was created with a Nikon Z8 with the Nikkor zoom lens Z 24-200 mm f/4-6.3 97 mm and with these settings: ISO 12800 (auto), f/6.3 and 1/160 sec. The image was PP in LightRoom, passed through the Denoise slider in LightRoom, and cropped.
6 comments posted
Judith Ponti-Sgargi
Isaac
Not all confessions are heard in a confessional. Many take place in a private room where with the priest and penitent visible to each other.
The interior of a church is considered private space and a confession is a sacrament. Thus one needs to know the rules of the country and whether photographing a person taking confession is allowed. In this case, the person taking confession is identifiable. Posted: 11/03/2024 05:15:38
Ardeth Carlson
I respond most to images in which I can see emotion or interaction depicted, and because I cannot see either of the faces and there is nothing else in the photograph that evokes an emotional response, I am not really drawn to a story here. Posted: 11/06/2024 09:13:25
Dr Isaac Vaisman
Ardeth, if the faces were visible, I would never have used this image. The PJ HI definition does not state that you have to see the faces for emotions..... Posted: 11/06/2024 16:58:15
Ardeth Carlson
I agree that it isn't always necessary to see the full face for an image to create or evoke emotion, and I am not suggesting that my reaction has anything to do with the PJ HI definition, but for me this is a static image. There is an outdoor booth with two figures; the emotion isn't portrayed in a visible way. You ask about other photos in this round in which we can't see the faces, but the action/interaction is more pronounced. I am simply describing my own response to this particular image. Posted: 11/07/2024 09:34:24
Karen Kohn
I was interested because I have never seen a confessional as a Jewish person. I understand that the one making a confessional is kneeling. I cannot see who is inside but I would suspect it is a priest. Karen Kohn Posted: 11/07/2024 16:47:07
Karl Leck
(Group 3)
Hi Isaac, This is a technically well done image that conveys the feeling of a Catholic church confessional. The framing, exposure and composition are good. I could see this in a church publication although it might make believer viewers a bit squeamish to be in a clear face-to-face situation with their confessor. Karl Posted: 11/08/2024 12:33:54
