The Chapelle Saint-Nicolas is a small, plain country chapel standing among the historic timbered houses, kitchen gardens, and open fields of the Écomusée d'Alsace. This sprawling open air village museum is home to dozens of old Alsatian buildings that were saved from demolition and rebuilt on one site. Sitting at the back of the grounds all on its own the chapel is a simple little building with a small bell tower. Its quaint interior is decorated with a painted Way of the Cross saved from a former potash miners' chapel nearby where each panel was funded by a mining family. Inside it is dim and still, so you are working with soft light from the windows falling on the pale walls and dark wood. Outside since the chapel sits all alone you can experiment with shooting it against the dark wall of forest to create a moody vibe, or you can shoot straight down the lane to use it as the perfect leading line. Late afternoon into early evening suits the chapel perfectly. The low sun comes round to light the front of the chapel while the forest behind drops into shadow. Overcast days also work well by keeping the pale walls and the greens even. Because it sits inside the museum you are bound by their hours so you can't come at dawn, though the site runs late into summer evenings that buy you warmer light out here at the edge. To access the chapel you will need to pay for admission but parking is free in the lot under solar panels, and you will be able to explore the entire museum grounds. The whole place keeps seasonal hours and closes for part of the winter, so check their schedule when planning a photography adventure in this area. (Ungersheim, Alsace, France)
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