St. James Parish Church, a photo from Saint James, North

Photographer's Note

One of Barbados' oldest churches, St. James boasts mural tablets, stained glass windows, and a bell that pre-dates the famous American Liberty bell by 54 years.

It’s located located in Holetown, where the English settlers landed in Barbados. The original structure was built in the 1600s but was severely damaged by a hurricane. In 1690 a coral stone structure was built to replace the wooden building. While coral stone buildings are not uncommon in the Caribbean, but most have a lot of black discoloration. This building is kept bright white.

The organ was ordered and built by the English firm, Hill & Son at a cost of 320 pounds. After it arrived in January 1876 and was assembled, the first organist was Charles A. Greenidge and the bellows blower, Reynold W. Gillman. When we were there, someone who clearly needed the practice was practicing the wedding march.

Many of the original settlers and many eminent Barbadians were laid to rest in the Church and the churchyard. Indeed, a walk through the churchyard and Church examining the grave stones, vaults and memorial plaques, is like a journey into the history of Barbados.

besnard, feather, asajernigan, paura, s_lush, JCG, Angshu, xuaxo, avene, jlbrthnn, denisn72, danos, gunbud has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

gneufeld (15856) 2010-01-24 17:45

Hi Pat,
A nice capture of this historic church. Well saturated colors and good light, although maybe a wee bit too dark in the foreground and particularly left of center. The door is open and welcoming visitors - nice. TFS. Gerald

Dyerco (10185) 2010-01-24 19:38

Hi Pat
Nice framing of the church by the surrounding trees. It is nice to see a church with the door open welcoming all and sundry. Good strong contrasting colours.
Phil

besnard (45702) 2010-01-24 22:52

Bonjour Pat
Une jolie "papagolfade" avec cette église à l'architecture particulière et intéressante. L'angle est bien choisi pour la mettre en valeur.
Merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Nicole

ribeiroantonio (22618) 2010-01-24 23:10

Amazing light you got in here. I also like the beautiful sky. Well done.
Antonio

feather (51114) 2010-01-25 3:00

I'm in TE snooze mode, getting ready for Friday, but stopping for a cuppa I just have to see what's happening! You mastered the strong light here taking the exposure from the brightly lit church. The darker surroundings emphasise the framing quality of the trees and shadows.
Hope to see you in March!
Love to Larry too
Kath xx

John_F_Kennedy (40995) 2010-01-25 4:09

Hello Pat,
Wonderful colours. Good lightness on the church. Very good contrast. Amazing sharpness.
best wishes and have a nice day
Achim

asajernigan (19353) 2010-01-25 4:13

Pat,
This is a nicely composed shot of this fine church. The trees provide nice framing for the shot. The lighting and colors are great and the photo has excellent sharpness. The angle of the shot is great giving the scene a good sense of depth.
TFS,
Asa

paura (48148) 2010-01-25 5:15

Pat,
Very uncommon church view! Barbados is really a very interesting place. Colors are also very nice.

Well done!

Paulo

alin-m (3654) 2010-01-25 7:37

Hi Pat.
Interesting architecture of this church.
Nice details and colors in yours picture.Well done.
Best regards.Alin.

s_lush (13908) 2010-01-25 7:42

Hello Pat,
The architecture of this church and the material of which it is made are very decorative and nice. The shot is excellently composed and framed. The light and colors are simply beautiful. As usual, the note contains a lot of interesting and useful information. Great job!
Best regards,
Sergiy

JCG (35129) 2010-01-25 11:06

Hello Pat,

A strong light which you managed perfectly here. I like much all these contrasts with the darker parts which emphasize well the beauty of this church. Pretty and interesting glance just like your comment, thank you Pat.

With all my friendships and a very good week,

Jean-Charles

Angshu (47511) 2010-01-26 0:29

Hello Pat
Quite a play of shade and light across the frame...Like how you framed the church well with the foliage on either side and your exposure control as well. The sky is beautiful as well!
Best Regards
Angshu

xuaxo (6828) 2010-01-26 14:01

Olá Pat,
Beautiful composition, with the church surrounded by trees and nice sky, all in a bright, sharp photo.
SAA,
Francisco

avene (12669) 2010-01-27 7:04

hi Pat,
there's something very "West Indies" in the combination of bright white and saturated blue, the Bahamas looked very much the same (except the over-touristy places, where hotels had all possible colours). trees work nicely as a natural frame for the church, and I agree with Kath that you have managed the harsh and difficult light very well.

best,
Kristine

jlbrthnn (71854) 2010-01-27 11:48

Good evening Pat,
The strong light is well managed on the walls. The building is well described by an adequate point of view and a framing. The natural colors are pleasant. Good work.
Cordially
Joël

pablominto (53742) 2010-01-27 23:30

Hello Pat,

In particular the tower is different from many churches, even if the separation from the main building is normal in earthquake zones!
Attractive architecture with fine details, and the white walls are well exposed...
The view to the building is well framed by vegetation, and the lovely blue sky with fluffy clouds makes a fine background!

Greetings,
Pablo -

batalay (30780) 2010-01-28 12:00

Hi Pat,

I remember seeing this site, not from my visit to Barbados 10 days ago, but from a visit 30 years ago, both on cruises. The light and vantage point are ideal for this wonderful image. The design of the building is more reminiscent of Spanish than English, evocative of California.

Regarding your question about my lecture topics — first, I am a physicist/artist/author — with truly interests. I've lectured on topics from the Maya (in visiting the Caribbean) to astrophysics, Newton and Einstein crossing the oceans. In the past 6-8 years I've lectured mostly about Leonardo da Vinci, about whom I've written a couple of books. Ultimately, however, I am an academic, and I've been doing no more than 3-4 weeks a year on cruise ships.

Warm regards,

Bulent

delpeoples (34823) 2010-01-30 0:50

HI Pat, the deep hues especially of the sky are so attractive. The clouds are gorgeous and I like how you have played with the extremes of light and shadow. It's a beautiful old church, very different from what I'm used to seeing. Thanks for sharing and I'll be cracking open a Sauv Blanc tonight - might make it Californian in your honour :) Warm regards, Lisa

wojtpod (735) 2010-01-30 1:31

Hello Pat!
It's a very simple but baeutiful church. Fantasti shadows on the white walls. Good composition.
Best regards,
Wojtek

denisn72 (8300) 2010-01-30 10:04

Hi Pat,
The strong contrasts are very very good. The deep blue sky and the distribution of the light are awesome! A different style of architecture for a church. Well done!
Best regards
Denis!

jafadabret (56497) 2010-01-31 8:58

Bonjour Pat,
La lumière ici est très forte et même à la limite de la surexposition. Les ombres sont également très denses. Tout cela fait que l'église semble en 3D. Une photo de caractère !
Amical salut !
Jacques

danos (64241) 2010-02-03 0:29

Hi Pat,
nice presentation of this old church in Barbados,with its bell to be older of the American liberty.I like the brilliant light of the scene as the vivid colours too.The trees as their branches decorate pleasantly the shot.Well done.

Regards,Danos

gunbud (33784) 2010-02-05 6:13

Hi Pat,
What a charming colonial church we have in this rich tropical setting.
Love the strong contrast between the vivid blue sky, tropical foliage and white church.
The clouds are special as they filter light that brings tranquil shadows to this lovely tropical secne.
Your note brings alot to this fine image.
Regards, Tom