Camino de Santiago
Waymarks, trails and churches along the Way of St James. 16 photos
About this gallery
This gallery follows the Way of St James through the Béarn, alternating forest trails and stops inside churches, near Pau. An official waymark nailed to a tree trunk beside a rocky path, a trail lined with low stone walls under the trees, a shading canopy, and a moss-covered boulder of glacial moraine at the foot of a tree mark out the route.
The rest of the gallery takes place inside churches, where light is captured through long exposures and deliberate blur: a gilded baroque altarpiece between sunlit windows, a votive lamp on a carved altar panel, a blue and pink stained-glass window, memorial candles and their trailing light, a red sanctuary lamp, and two views of a statue of Christ, one sharp, in a stone alcove above yellow flowers, the other blurred, arms outstretched.
More than the architecture of these churches, the images chase their quiet half-light and soft glow. They suit stories about hiking, the pilgrimage to Compostela, religious heritage or a piece on stillness and reflection. Royalty-free, like every photo in this gallery, they can be downloaded for free on Pexels.