Speed of Light

Darkness to Light
Matt Cardy
The Guardian - Eyewitness

This picture was taken in the Salisbury Cathedral in England during their annual "Darkness to Light" Advent Procession. During this ceremony the cathedral begins in total darkness and then slowly becomes illuminated as candles are carried into the church. The procession of candles leads up to the lighting of the first Advent candle. This is a time-lapse photograph, and the photographer captured this image by leaving the shutter open for a prolonged period of time while the candles were carried into the church. The vibrant bursts of light draw the eye from the bottom right corner up through the center of the image. Another interesting aspect of the photograph is the various shapes present in the architecture of the ceiling. The photograph is framed nicely so that the side columns and curvature of the ceiling surround the ceremony occurring below. This distinct framing adds to the beauty and magnificence of the Advent ceremony.