Country Church Sunset 3242

    Budakirkja, known as the black church, in Iceland, was erected in the 19th century on the site of the original sod church built in the early 1700’s. The name derives from the black paint coating the pitch used to protect the exterior wood from the harsh Icelandic coastal weather. The simple designed country church, combined with its astonishing surroundings as it sits on an old lava field, is an astonishing site. The field, formed in a volcanic eruption some 8,000 years ago, is today filled with sand and covered in native grass and home to over 130 plant species.

     The black church provided a nice contrast against a backdrop of an endless field of grass and open skies. The elements made for an ideal opportunity to create minimalist photographic images. Because there is a stone wall and graves at the site, I choose to shoot from a depression in the field which would eliminate those elements aiding to achieve the desired minimalist image. The dramatic skies set the mood of the scene and enhanced the feel of vast open spaces.