Photographing the Independent Presbyterian Church

A few weeks back I was walking on the streets of Savannah looking for my next good photograph. I have to tell you…it is tough! I know I have said it before but it is worth repeating. When you make your living photographing a city that millions of people photograph every year it is a lot of work to come up with new photographs that nobody has taken before. And if I am not taking unique and high quality photographs of Savannah then I am no different than Tourist Bob. So, I am always on the look-out for new subjects and compositions in Savannah. This is a new one I found.

In the background you can see the steeple of the Independent Presbyterian Church on Bull Street. You may remember it from this photograph of the Independent Presbyterian Church. You may also remember this church from the opening scene in Forrest Gump. The feather that is floating during the opening sequence floats by this steeple.

The Oglethorpe Statue in Chippewa Square

So, I have been putting out a number of sunrise photographs in Savannah as of late. That is for two reasons. One, I like them and this is my blog : ) and two, I have been very busy with work, personal issues etc..and haven’t had a lot of time to get out and take new photographs..anyways.

In Chippewa Square stands General Oglethorpe, in all of his bronze glory. He has never looked better. I am just guessing of course…A few weeks prior to this photograph I was in Chippewa Square at sunrise but I didn’t get the Square from this angle. I don’t know why I didn’t see it right away, I mean, the composition is great and nearly symmetrical. It just goes to show that you should go back to the same area over and over to get the best photographs. Not only will the lighting and mood change each time you go back but you may also see things in a new light. The direction, a new angle you didn’t see before…even the best of us don’t figure out the best photo of an area the first time, every time.

Photographing the Lions on the Oglethorpe State in Savannah

Located in Chippewa Square, in Savannah, is the General Oglethorpe Statue, honoring General James Oglethorpe, the founder of Savannah. This is a great statue to photograph at any time of the day but my favorite time to photograph the Oglethorpe Statue in Savannah Georgia is in the morning. At sunrise Chippewa Square glows with gorgeous orange light. You need to see it.

On the Oglethorpe Statue,, on all four corners, are small sculptures of Lions holding shields. It is one of those touches that help make this a pretty awesome statue in Savannah. Many people walking through Chippewa Square take time to photograph the Oglethorpe Statue, but they usually do not take the time to spend an extra minute or two examining these lions, looking at the details.

Photographing The Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah

The other day I was sitting in Chippewa Square, waiting to interview an potential assistant to help me with this year’s photography. I glanced over at the tower that is located on top of the Independent Presbyterian Church and realized that for all of my time in Savannah, I had never taken a photograph of it. Well, I couldn’t let it stay that way for long. Right after I finished my interview I walked over to the church and took many photographs.

The Independent Presbyterian Church, on Bull and Oglethorpe Streets in Savannah, dates back to 1818. The dedication of the church was quite a site. It was even attended by President James Monroe. In 1889 a large fire caused irreparable damage to the church and a new facade, the present facade, was installed for the church. The church’s pillars are quite distinct and stand out. The steeple of the church is quite impressive as well. Check out this photograph of the steeple at the Independent Presbyterian Church.

I couldn’t take too much time photographing the Independent Presbyterian Church as a storm was fast closing in. In ended up being quite a down-pour and I got back to my car just in the nick-of-time! Another great day photographing Savannah!

Photographing the General Oglethorpe Statue in Savannah Georgia

In Chippewa Square, downtown Savannah Georgia, is the statue to General Oglethorpe, founder of the Colony of Georgia and Savannah. It is a great subject for photographing in Savannah. Way back in 1733 he landed near River Street in Savannah and went about his merry way establishing the city of Savannah. To honor him the city of Savannah decided to give him his very own statue.

I really enjoy photographing the Oglethorpe Statue. I don’t do it too often, but when I do I am always looking for a new way to photograph it. One thing you can do, when photographing statues of people, like Mr. Oglethorpe, is to treat them like a real person. Look for the lighting patterns on their faces. And since you can’t pose them, put yourself at an angle that would be flattering to your subject. I photographed this picture using a 300mm lens. Many people see a big zoom lens on your camera and assume you need to zoom in on things far away. While this may be the case if you were photographing lions on the plains of Africa, in the city you can use a long zoom lens to increase the compression of the scene and to  narrow the depth of field (blur out the background and/or foreground). Blurring the background, bokeh, really helps pop your subject out.

So, there you have it, photographing the General Oglethorpe Statue in Savannah Georgia. Next time you are in Savannah make sure to head over to Chippewa Square and check it out. You can check out a photograph of the entire General Oglethorpe Statue in Savannah here.