This is the first of a series of articles featuring some of the world’s greatest churches and cathedrals, illustrated by my own photos in HDR format. For this article, I visited the vibrant city of Barcelona in Spain, to photograph the city’s most popular tourist destination – La Sagrada Familia. It is described by many visitors as the most extraordinary place they have ever seen.
My photos (below) are brought to life with the power of a new technology – called true HDR photography. With it, photographers are able to get closer to real life and better display the amazing colours and details that they see with their own eyes.
From the photos, I created the video, below. Make sure you select the highest quality possible.
The photos, below, are dedicated to those who cannot visit this amazing site in person. You can click on individual thumbnails below for larger photos.
La Sagrada Familia – the life’s work of architect Antoni Gaudi – is still under construction
Visited by about 5 million people every year, the basilica is famous for being the life’s work of architect Antoni Gaudi.
Construction began in 1882 and has continued to the present day. Gaudi never got to see his masterpiece completed. Gaudi died in 1926, three days after being hit by a tram.
Featuring an incredible 18 symbolic towers when fully complete, you can see the four towers facing to the west below. The towers are topped with pinnacles of coloured Venetian glass, which you can see glistening in the sun. In 2025, La Sagrada Familia became the world’s tallest church, reaching a height of nearly 163 metres.
Hundreds of statues depict bible stories across its three façades
The church has three grand façades, which feature hundreds of sculptures that depict biblical stories. There is the highly ornate Nativity façade to the east, the Glory façade to the south and the, most austere, Passion façade to the west.
Here we are looking at part of the Passion façade. This is representative of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Below is the popularly-named “Thinker” sculpture. The statue is a portrayal of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Pilate is ‘lost in thought’, struggling with the pressure of the crowd against his own belief that Jesus might be innocent.
Ornate doors and walls contain elaborate texts
As you approach the entrance to the basilica, you can see the doors and walls that feature elaborate texts and symbols. The central doors are filled with over 8,000 bronze letters. These spell out the Passion narrative – a striking visual representation of scripture.
Nothing prepares you for the spectacular interior of La Sagrada Familia
While the outside of the building is a visual spectacle, nothing prepares you for the visual spectacular inside! Interior columns resemble tree trunks, branching into incredible vaults.
Christ on the Cross – situated above the High Altar – hangs from a canopy featuring sculpted vines and wheat. The sculpture is beautifully lit from above and the colourful windows behind.
The high resolution of the camera used reveals intricate details.
On the great vault, covering the apse in which the altar rests, is the stunning “Golden triangle”. It is an incredible mosaic of golden Venetian glass, symbolising God the Creator.
The beautiful stained-glass windows break Gothic traditions
It is the stunning stained-glass windows that often captivate visitors the most. The basilica is bathed in coloured light from all directions. West-facing stained-glass windows primarily feature warm red, orange, and yellow colours, symbolising warm afternoon light and sunset.
In contrast, the east-facing windows, where the sun rises, are dominated by cool blues and greens, symbolizing morning light and nature.
In Gothic cathedrals, the most colourful stained-glass windows are often found at the highest points, but Gaudi departed from this tradition. The lower windows, which contain the names of saints, feature more intense colours, making them easier for visitors to read and appreciate.
The highest windows are the most transparent, allowing light to flood the space and illuminate the mosaics and golden vaults of the nave.
Spectacular sound complements the awe-inspiring visual experience
In 2010, an organ was installed in the chancel to fill the immense space of the basilica. The instrument has 26 stops and 1,492 pipes. The pipes, located behind the main altar, are notable for catching the vibrant light from the stained-glass windows. The organ will eventually be expanded to 8,000 pipes – placed across the huge space of the basilica.
La Sagrada Familia is a ‘must-see’ if you can visit in person
I hope that you share my feeling that true HDR photography brings you closer to the experience of being there in person. However, nothing replaces a visit so I recommend that you go and see this incredible basilica if you can, and you will be directly supporting its construction. La Sagrada Familia is funded exclusively by private donations and ticket sales. For more information on visiting, please go to:
Official Sagrada Familia website
While about five million people visit La Sagrada Familia every year, there are many people who are unable to visit, for example due to age, disability or illness. Having recently broken my leg severely, I dedicate my HDR photos to those of you who are unable to visit the basilica in person.