Church Lights

During my visit to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, this woman really was the key light of the chapel. Through her pleasant and sincere hospitality, the chapel became more than just a restoration; it came to life, a place of communion and sharing. Her beautiful dark complexion in no way hinders her luminous personal presence, but instead makes the light within her so much more apparent.

It is an environmental portrait in three lights. The backlight is provided by the stained glass window at the back of the chapel. The fill light, which puts an edge of highlight on the pews and posts, comes through off-camera windows. The main light is the woman herself.