Stained Glass — going beyond a simple record

Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie, Alberta One of the many stained glass windows that adorn St. Paul's United Church in Grande Prairie, Alberta. This pane depicts the manger scene with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus and the young man Jesus in the carpentry shop before starting His ministry.

Photography is all about light. In fact the root of the word means to write with light.

Without light, photos wouldn't exist.

However, having light strike the front surface of something doesn't always make for the best picture. Side lighting, rim lighting, silhouettes and back lighting, like this photo of a stained glass window, can make a photo more interesting and in some cases make the photo.

If you have ever seen a stained glass window that wasn't lit from behind, you know it is dull, dark, uninteresting and very non-descript.

Put a light behind that pane and each area of coloured glass that makes up the mosaic of the stained glass windows glows and brings the image depicted to life.

The same effect can take place when we are creating a photo. The photo can be a record of what is before the camera — even an accurate depiction — however, it can also be lifeless.

By putting a little more of ourselves into the process of creating a photo through a passion for a beautiful subject or even the desire to communicate the needs and horrors of a disaster, the photo takes on a new dimension. That passion, interest, desire, or longing to communicate pushes the photo farther than just a simple record.