When I was a freshman in High School my church youth group attended “Nightwatch” at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. I remember feeling a sense of wonder at the majesty of this church. The candlelight service that weekend confirmed in me this sense of being part of something greater.

Fast forward ten years and I am in graduate school studying photography and I find myself creating images inside the many churches of Historic Savannah.

What am I doing here, why am I drawn to these spaces? I have never considered myself religious, although some in my family thought I might become an Episcopal Priest. In fact, I have always felt ambivalent toward religious institutions. The main reason I was confirmed was the fear of disappointing my grandmother. So what drew me here?

Through my images I attempt to capture the essence of these spaces. The beauty and joy of Easter – discovered through the simple grace of a lily on an altar. The nobility revealed in a statue of a young woman – and sometimes saint, Joan of Arc. The splendor of Saint Peter – seen against the backdrop of the upper eastside of Manhattan. Grace, beauty, nobility, and splendor, the common denominator is our Creator. I am looking for the awe and inspiration I felt in a dark cathedral so many years ago. I worship the divine spark in us all.

Eric Reiffenstein

email: studio@reiffenstein.com

Easter Lily
Piezography B&W (Quad Black Inkjet)
8" x 10"

Exterior Cathedral Church St John the Divine
(St Peter)
Piezography B&W (Quad Black Inkjet)
8" x 10"