Anthony Chapel in Garvan Woodland Gardens

Anthony Chapel sits on a wooded hillside above Lake Hamilton, just south of Hot Springs. This unique tall wood and glass chapel has glass walls running from floor to ceiling and a native stone base that seems to invite the surrounding pine forest into the space. The chapel is made up of a canopy of branching wooden columns that fan out overhead like a grove of tree limbs. Between the glass walls, the skylights, intricate wooden beams and the stone floors the chapel is photogenic at every turn. If you stand in the centre aisle and shoot straight toward the glass wall at the front you can capture the full symmetry of the branching beams. You can also experiment with using the back corners to layer the timber lattice against the trees outside, or you can step out to the bell tower and stone walkway for amazing exterior frames through the forest. A wide zoom, around 16-35mm, is the perfect choice for the soaring interior and the ceiling, while a 24-70mm handles the pews and intricate the details well. Soft, overcast light is ideal here because it evens the contrast between the dim wood interior and the bright glass walls. Low early and late sun filtering through the trees adds beautiful patterns across the stone and timber if you meter for it. The chapel sits in a free area of Garvan Woodland Gardens, with parking close by and a short walk in. It does close to visitors whenever it is booked for a wedding or event, which happens often on the weekends, so check ahead before you drive out. If you plan your photography adventure for a quiet weekday morning and you will probably have the place mostly to yourself. (Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA)