Συλλογή 007: National Cathedral 02.23.2020: Gargoyles and Grotesques

Weeks before we were asked to stay home, I headed out to the National Cathedral to take photos of some gargoyles and grotesques. This is the second attempt, albeit the first serious one. Following the advice of a seasoned photographer I met the first time, I packed up my tripod and zoom lens for long afternoon. I did not find the Darth Vader gargoyle but I did find some others. There will be more trips to find out more.

Gargoyles have a very long history with roots possibly dating back to the ancient Egyptians, Etruscans, Greeks and Romans. Their role was structural; part of the gutter system. But also given their mythical, supernatural, fearsome features they were meant to ward off evil, instill fear or as other hypothesize in the early days trick non-Christians in coming to churches. There are grotesques as well. All gargoyles are grotesques and are part of the drainage. Not all grotesques are gargoyles. The grotesques are decorative, some look odd maybe comical while others look peaceful, happy.

The National Cathedral is a bit of a challenge to take pictures depending on the time of the day. With good light one side of the building can be a breeze but other sides can be quite shady with very low light. So, there is constant adjustment of settings. Enjoy the tour!

leaving you with this fellow who must have seen something very not proper....

For more images please check my Portfolio. Thank you!