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32 | OHCC LIVING | SEPTEMBER 2023 | One of the things people like to do while traveling is to go into some of the beautiful old churches that can be found in many European countries. Taking photographs inside these churches can be very rewarding, but it needs to be done thoughtfully. For one thing, be sure you have turned off your flash. Church interiors tend to be dark and if your camera is on an auto setting the flash will go off and you will become very unpopular in the church, especially if there are a lot of people there. If you're using a smartphone, it adjusts to low light conditions very well, but your phone camera does have exposure compensation capability… if you know how to use it. For experts with real cameras, you can widen the aperture, lower the shutter speed, or increase the ISO to overcome low light. You probably won't be allowed to use a tripod so lean on something to steady yourself. It's important to be quiet and respectful. We were on a tour in Marseille and went into a small Catholic church. It was Sunday and Mass was in progress. We had no business even being there. Most of the tour members were not Catholic and didn't know how to behave. I had a few words for our local guide aer that. At any rate, we should be careful not to disturb or distract others, and if your camera has a silent mode, use it. Try to be quick and efficient. Don't look through the viewfinder until you know what you want to capture. Take advantage of the light coming through windows, especially stained-glass windows. Tall churches offer the chance to shoot all kinds of different angles, such as crouching low to communicate the size of the church. And a special trick is to go early or late. We were up very early at our hotel in Trastevere in Rome, suffering from jet lag, but we walked over to St Peter's, and there was nobody there but a few quiet worshipers and us. Magical! e Photography Club is open to all residents. We meet on the third ursday of the month, at 1 pm, in Lamia. But check the schedule to be sure. Annual dues are $8. ~ Jim McDonough, (760) 493-9994, jamespmcdonough@gmail.com Photography