Say cheese, OMG.

If I have learned anything from my mother over the years, it is how to behave in church. And here's one thing I can guarantee you: my mom wholeheartedly disapproves of picture-taking during a worship service dedicated to our Father who art in heaven.

Nevertheless, my camera and I strolled over to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on a recent lunch break to nose around. It’s tourist-central, of course, so even during a mass, it’s jam-packed with people taking photos. And one thing I noticed on this visit was, since today’s cameras let us take photos using an LCD screen instead of a viewfinder, this fact--particularly in popular tourist spots--can create an interesting tableau of people with outstretched arms.

To me, within a church setting, this looks very much like someone raising their hands up in prayer, as if asking the Holy Ghost of Digital Photography to bless them with a few decent vacation pics, dear Lord, especially-after-all-this-blasted-walking-and-expensive-New-York-City-food.

So here’s how I saw it. And since they’re pictures I took of people taking pictures in church, I have a feeling I’m getting a double dose of going-to-hell points for this one.

(Sorry about that, Mom.)

Comments

[Vicki]

oi vey, this looks like penance central..i feel bad just looking at it! he he...

[Jorge]

I love this series. Little did they suspect they'd end up being the photographed subjects. Raise your hands and say Hallelujah!

[michelle]

amy, i can't even express to you how much i love this sentence - "..as if asking the Holy Ghost of Digital Photography to bless them with a few decent vacation pics.."

[mdashing]

Thanks, V + J + M! Didn't know what kind of response I'd get on this one...

[Susan]

Your Mother has mellowed with age and really enjoyed this blog.

[Meredith from Penelope Loves L]

Great pics. There IS something religious about this.

[Ashley]

LOVE st. patricks! lovely pictures :)