The most famous church in the historic center of Quito must be La Compañia de Jesus. It is famous for being bathed in gold. Just about every imaginable surface is either painted with murals or covered in gold leaf. This church is also one of the few that cannot be photographed by tourists.
But if you write a blog and want to share photos that will help promote the La Compañia de Jesus as a tourist destination, I have a secret to tell. You can photograph the church for a grand hour without other tourists around.
Asking Permission to Photograph
A couple of weeks before moving back to the United States, I visited the offices of La Compañia de Jesus, just a couple of blocks away from the church itself. I took a business card and a local friend. The first was to prove that I actually write a blog and that I am a professional. The second was just in case my Spanish failed me. It didn’t but it was good to have a friend along anyway. Dealing with any kind of bureaucracy is intimidating even in my own language.
But the process was not very complicated at all. I filled out a sheet of paper with my contact information and included the approximate date of publication of the photos. I will tell you that I am months behind as I promised an article back in October 2016. But publishing late makes me feel very Ecuadorian. After I filled out the document, I took a business card with the young man’s name and walked back over to La Compañia de Jesus to schedule my morning. We chose the next week on a Friday and I could arrive at 7:45 am. Done.
Arrive Prepared
And so that’s what I did. It is my first “official” photo shoot of a church. I learned a few things in the attempt. Luckily, I brought all of my lenses. My wide-angle was great for a couple of shots but was not ideal for most. My most flexible lens is a 18-105mm and I took the best shots with it. I also took a lens I normally reserve for birds, a 120-400mm. I wanted to get some detail pictures at the highest levels and also from the altar itself, but without looking straight up. My downfall? I had lent my good tripod to my videographer (the youngest son) and went with a tripod that just couldn’t hold steady for the pictures in the dome. So make sure you take a great tripod that can handle the weight of ALL your lenses.
And have a plan. An hour sounds like a long time but this church has so many nooks and crannies that it can be tough to focus on the photos you know you really want. I went around the church three times, once with each lens. That was faster than taking lenses on and off at each place. And with each go around, I focused on different types of photos. Obviously, with the wide-angle, I focused on large shots that give a general idea of the space in the church. The zoom lens was perfect for detail shots at a distance. And with my most flexible lens, I took pictures of spaces within and a few details that I could walk up next to.
All of these photos were taken with the light available. No flash photography allowed. Again, take an excellent tripod. If you do not have a remote control for your camera, do consider taking delayed shots so that when you press the button to shoot, the camera waits 2 seconds. Then your hand is less likely to shake the camera.
If you would like to view these images in a slideshow, please click on any one photo in the gallery:
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- Mariana de Jesus is the Patron Saint of Quito; La Compañia de Jesus | ©Angela Drake
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- This chapel lies to the left of the main altar.
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- Confessional are still used today.
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- This is the central dome above just in front of the main altar.
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- A detailed view of two of the figures in the dome just before the altar.
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- Looking straight up from just in front of the main altar.
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- The organ is also a piece of artwork.
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- Several windows cut into the roof of the church allow natural light to enter.
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- The view towards the main altar to include the ceiling.
Esta publicación está disponible en: Español
Thank you. I was one of those tourists (on a group tour) not allowed to take photos. Your photos are the only ones I’ve found so far that include the stairways. Those and the painting of the inferno were my favorite parts. I’m glad I found your blog and will look through your other postings.
Thanks, Sherry! We are really glad you found the blog as well. Most folks find us when searching for specific destinations in Ecuador. We are currently traveling in southern Ecuador and will be adding many, many more articles! Let us know if you would like to see something specific… we will do our best to help you out!
These are really weĺl-done. I wish I could do that well — on purpose. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, George! As a self-taught photographer, I really appreciate your comment. Ecuador became the best photo instructor ever as each situation demanded a different set of camera skills. I learned to love photographing churches, especially when I could have to area to myself. It is amazing what a one-hour photo session with your subject can teach you!