Favorite Pictures

Churches are easy to photograph.  The tend to stand pretty still until you get the shot.  Grand buildings with towering steeples situated on well groomed grounds make for good photos.  I have been lucky enough to see some amazing places from Maine to Texas.  I have found that the best pictures often come from unexpected little corners of the church.  A stained glass window tucked away behind the stairs to the choir loft.  A tiny statue partially hidden in the garden of the rectory.  A message carved into stone or brick generations ago.  Here is a sample of some of my favorite photos from around America.  They are not necessarily the most frame worthy photos, but I just like them.  Hopefully you will too.

The hills behind Churchtown (seriously I am not making that up) in Eastern Ohio.

Sometimes the sky cooperates - St. Sebastian in Mercer County the land of the cross tipped churches

The Shrine Park in Carey, Ohio

Hiding on a pillar in Holy Family - Columbus, Ohio

Tucked into the fold of a statue - Shrine of the Holy Relics - Maria Stein, Ohio

If you have never been to Mercer County - GO - just get in the car and go - two dozen amazing German churches - there are churches in the front yard of other churches - the Shrine itself is worth the drive - go spend a day - skip Cedar Point, skip Wyandot Lake and go see Mercer County

This was on a gravestone behind St. John The Baptist in Maria Stein (across the street from the shrine) - the date and name had worn off and a moss covered cross remained.

Another amazing statue in the Shrine Park in Carey, Ohio - another great day trip - seriously go visit these places - the people are great and they want to see you

The Cathedral Of The Immaculate Conception in Syracuse, New York - I have seen many snakes before, but there is something strange about the eyes on this one.  I love taking pictures of parts of a statue

Sometimes looking from a different angle adds to a photo.  St. Michael guarding the door of St. Michael Church in Old Town Chicago

I love stained glass and often the individual characters tell more of a story than the entire scene.  This is from St. Anthony of Padua in St. Louis, Missouri

Of the nearly 25,000 photos that I have taken, Mary is my favorite subject.

St. Colman of Cloyne in Washington Courthouse, Ohio - Stained glass shows it's age - I like it when at least some of the windows are left unrestored

St. Charles Seminary in Carthegena - Again in Mercer County

National Shrine Of Our Lady Of Providence - St. Mary Of The Woods in Indiana

Back to the Shrine in Maria Stein

Taken through a fence in Mt. Vernon, Ohio

And my all time favorite photo, one that is framed and hanging on my wall, is from St. William in Cincinnati.  Sometimes you just get lucky and nature wants to be in your photo.  If you are really lucky a beautiful male cardinal perches on the praying hands of Mary and looks right at your camera.

I like that picture - I hope you do too.