Église Saint-Charles

This fall, while shooting a wedding, I was surprised by the beauty of the St. Charles Parish (Église Saint-Charles). While I’ve covered weddings all over Montreal (and away from Montreal), I had never been inside this particular venue and I was truly awestruck. I do not follow any religion but am respectful of all, and I do have a fondness for old churches. Often when I am travelling I will find myself taking a little break sitting in a pew of some cathedral just to feel the silence and beauty of the space inside. It is not surprising that Quebec has many such beautiful churches, but I am still amazed at the detail and effort that goes into nearly every aspect of the interiors, even if they are a little worn and run down in places.

While the lighting is tricky as a wedding photographer I prefer to go with the natural ambient light in such large spaces to avoid that flattening flash lit face that shows nothing of the surroundings.  Sometimes this risks losing a bit of sharpness in exchange for a warmer image that, I think, more honestly captures the sense of place where the wedding is occurring.