Please enter your email and website or LinkedIn to receive more information about our free and paid accounts.
Please enter your email address below and we’ll send you instructions on how to change your password.
“Sunday Morning” is a personal project shot by David Ellis that documents the ceremonies of a local church group in St. Paul, Minnesota. The church is a part of the Universal Christian Ministries who have an unconventional approach to worship. This isn’t your typical Sunday mass; these church-goers chose to eliminate organs and recited homilies, replacing them with electric guitars and dancing. As a photographer who works to create photos that evoke emotion, David viewed this project as the perfect opportunity to get photos that showed just what he was about.
Clients want to see something that interests me and how I approach the subject. Personal projects are the only way I know how to accomplish this.
For a long time, this church was just another building facade in David’s daily commute. It wasn’t until one night in December that he ventured inside—maybe it was the cold or curiosity that dictated this decision, but once he was inside he was immediately intrigued and knew the only thing missing from the church was his camera. At first, the parishioners, wary of his intentions to photograph them in their place of worship, declined his offer. Undeterred, David followed the advice of his former teacher who once told him “you get what you reflect.” David took these words as guidance for a new approach to the situation. He began attending services and befriending the clergy, assuring them of his good intentions. He also showed them some of his recent projects to get them familiar with his art and interests.
His patience and resiliency paid off. He was invited to a Sunday vigil to come photograph the mass. Men and women dressed in extravagant clothing, and boisterous singing and dancing gave way to thought-provoking readings where the parishioners would sit side-by-side and listen to one another.
David was thrilled to be a part of this truly unique experience, reaffirming his belief that photographers should shoot what interests them. Reponses to the project have been positive. David says people are curious about it, and want to see and learn more. He’s hoping that this project will encourage people to act on their own curiosities, going out and exploring the unfamiliar.
I think there is potential in everything and it is a photographer’s job to discover that. When you look at things from that point of view, it is very motivating and refreshing.
