I took this image while on holiday in Amsterdam.
As I approached the Basilica along Prins Hendrikkade Street, I was immediately drawn to its ornate architecture as part of the city’s landscape. Amsterdam has incredibly noticeable architecture across the city, but the Basilica really catches your eye as you step out from Central Station. It’s one of those buildings that’s simply awe-inspiring because of its scope, size, and scale.
Once inside, I found the intricate detail and warm ambiance simply breathtaking. Before taking any images, I had to pause for a few minutes to look around and soak in the building’s atmosphere. As my eyes moved around the main sanctuary – ceiling, walls, main area, seating, and floor – I was immediately drawn to the wealth of details and the careful attention placed on the building’s lighting, color scheme, and placement of the paintings, tiles, and windows.
The blend of light coming in through the windows and from the interior lights made it such a warm and inviting atmosphere. My initial approach was to walk around the building and take many photos with my 14-30mm lens. I wanted to capture up-close some of the primary features scattered across the building. After circling around from the back to the sides and then to the front, I headed back to the main entrance to view the entire room. Somehow, I wanted to capture this moment and bring together the building’s many elements. This photo was my attempt to pull together all of those details into this one image.
What are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!
The two most impactful items from this image are (1) its wide field of view and (2) the intricate detail across the image. Shooting this image with a wide-angle lens gives the viewer a sense of the scale of the Basilica’s awe-inspiring architecture, no matter where you look. It’s also filled with amazing detail – ceiling, walls, columns, and sanctuary – complimented by careful lighting, historic paintings, and an alluring color scheme.
If you could make this photo again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?
If I were to take this image again, I would use a tripod. I took this while on holiday in Amsterdam and didn’t have a tripod with me. I took this handheld at 1/40 but increased my ISO to 1000.
Jeffrey Wetherill shared this photograph in the FRAMES Facebook Group.
Photographer
Jeffrey Wetherill, St Louis, Missouri, USA
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Equipment and settings
Nikon Z6II camera + Nikon Z14-30mm lens
ƒ/4 | 1/40 | 14mm | ISO1000
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Iris Cobbolf
April 24, 2024 at 16:45
Truly magnificent shot of the Basilica, the way in which the light is captured is tremendous..such a fantastic job!