Self-taught photographer Matthew Connolly (@___mc.photos) lives in Auckland, New Zealand, where he recently completed a five-year architecture degree. During his studies, Matthew had the opportunity to develop and refine his photography skills, travelling far and wide to discover and document exquisite architecture. Last year, his photo of John Scott’s “Chapel of Futuna” won the Built Environment category in the 2021 NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year awards.
Sony Alpha 7 III with Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 lens. 1/60 sec, f/28, ISO 125
Setting the Scene
Located in the Wellington suburb of Karori, Futuna Chapel is one of New Zealand’s most culturally significant buildings. John Scott, who was the first registered Māori architect in New Zealand, unified cultures as he wove together inspiration from both the Catholic Church and Māori Marae into the chapel’s structure.
Matthew had been waiting to shoot the building for some time, however, it’s only open to the public for two hours each month, so he had to time his trip precisely. Capturing the entire space was challenging because of its small, intimate nature. The building is centred around a Māori pou, which rises through the middle and expands into branch-like beams, resemblant of a tree. Matthew chose to lie on the ground to get an angle that he felt would best convey the essence of the structure, whilst also trying to avoid getting other chapel visitors in the shot. “I wanted to showcase the different textures and shades,” Matthew explains. “That’s what makes it an interesting image, and it’s also an important component of the building, giving the space a contemplative and peaceful feeling.”
Gear & Camera Settings
Matthew used his Sony Alpha 7 III camera paired with a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens. His ISO was set at 125, his aperture at f/28, and the exposure was for 1/60th of a second.
When he’s taking photos, Matthew has a strong sense of how the space feels, and when he’s processing his raw files he tries to simulate that sensation. In this instance the post-production was very minimal, with just a subtle darkening of the blacks.
