Hopkins Grove Church

I'm a big fan of my wife Nancy's apple pie. I usually get one for my birthday which helps me ignore the fact I'm another year older. But trying to understand exactly why I like them so much leaves me scratching my head. It could be how she carefully blends different types of apple. It might be her made-from-scratch crust. It might be because she adds extra cinnamon and, of course, you can never have too much cinnamon. But I can't put my finger on just one of those reasons.

I found it equally difficult to pinpoint why rural churches appeal to me. I've logged quite a bit of time behind the wheel since starting The Church Project in 2009 and, since I never listen to the radio in the car, a lot of drive time was devoted to finding an answer to the "why". In previous posts, I've mentioned that I like these buildings for many reasons. But if I had to pick just one, which would it be?

It took a couple of years, but I think I finally discovered the why. I call it eloquent simplicity. This shot of the Hopkins Grove Methodist Church near Madrid is a good example. The repeated arch shapes and diagonals create an eloquent facade and also a simple one. Imagine adding one additional shape or building feature. It would create a contrived, confusing and chaotic facade to this lovely, small church.

Capturing eloquent simplicity in a photograph is a little tricky. It's too easy to include one more element than necessary in a composition. The result is a photograph that look contrived, confusing, and chaotic. It's necessary to develop a visual discipline and to learn when to say enough. 

And more than that. It's necessary to understand that these buildings can tell their own stories. I just need to give them a voice.