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SamCornwallStudio
Sam Cornwall Studio
God's Glass
2025+2026
Project: Architectural and Artwork Photography for Fundraising Drives
700+ Photos Delivered, 5 Days of Photography
Client: Washington Memorial Chapel
This ongoing architectural photography project for Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge, PA is complex and sprawling with over 700 photos delivered from 5 days of shooting so far. The Washington Memorial Chapel is a unique piece of American history. Built between 1903 and 1921, with the bell tower being finished in 1953, this chapel celebrates the Continental Army, George Washington and the founding of the United States of America. The stained-glass windows were designed and fabricated by Nicola D'Ascenzo and his studio in Philadelphia.
To tackle this architectural photography challenge, we combined commercial photography with architectural photography techniques and employed ecom post-production workflows to manage the high-volume of photos. This ability to combine a variety of skills from Sam's vast photography experience allowed us to cut shooting time by half and speed up the editing workflow. Many photographers and studios would not be able to handle the volume of the this project or the challenges shooting in this unique space.
WMC has begun a fundraising project to make necessary repairs and will be using these photos for marketing, education and promoting the Chapel. A comprehensive book about the windows and an educational website will be coming soon.
Washington Memorial Chapel
DAR Bell Tower South Window
Behind The Scenes
Here's a selection of behind-the-scenes photos that shows the variety and depth of photographic challenges we overcame to deliver these beautiful images.
How did we do it? Along with traditional architectural photography techniques, we used commercial and ecommerce photography techniques to get the camera in hard-to-reach places while ensuring consistency and speed across the high-volume of images. We opted to use the Sony A1 camera with Sony Pixel Shift technology.
Why not use a Phase One camera? This setup gives us an even bigger image file at 200 mega-pixels vs 150 mega-pixels on the Phase One IQ4. Also, as a lighter and smaller camera, the Sony A1 allowed for more flexible setups when rigging the camera up-high or in small spaces, like that tower stairwell seen below.
How did you photograph the windows high up?
To reach the highest windows, we sourced the tallest tripod on the market, a Gitzo, and specially rigged a high-high light stand in the bell tower. We also used a custom rig to mount the camera to a 12 ft ladder for some shots. Lifts and cranes were not an option for this space in the time we had available to shoot. A couple windows did not get direct daylight, so we used strobes and an ultra-bounce white cloth to light the windows from behind.
What software did you use?
We always use Capture One Pro. But, this time we had to add Sony Imaging Edge to the work-flow in order to shoot the pixel-shift files and convert them to DNG for Capture One Pro with PixelShift2DNG. It's been a very challenging and fun project to work on.
Where can I find interior photography services like this in NYC?
Sam Cornwall Studio provides interior photography and architectural photography services in NYC. Book professional photography services with Sam Cornwall Studio for your next project.
Where can I find interior photography services in Philadelphia?
Sam Cornwall Studio provides interior and architectural photography services in Philadelphia.
Where can I find interior photography services in Vermont?
Sam Cornwall Studio provides interior and architectural photography services in Vermont.
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