Mission Concepcion photography for sale
Backing off and using a 400mm telephoto lens allowed me to juxtapose these two crosses, which top Mission Concepcion in San Antonio, Texas. Click here to order this print!
The missions that make up Texas’ San Antonio Missions National Park are beautiful examples of historical Christian architecture, and this Mission Concepcion photography captures one element — crosses — that each of the old Catholic outposts has in common.
To capture this photograph, I used a Nikon 80-400mm lens set at 400mm and attached to a tripod. I then backed off far enough so each cross was visible. The telephoto lens compressed the distance between the crosses, providing an image with great symmetry. Choosing to create a black-and-white photo accentuates the textures of the old architecture. It also provides a stark look at the crosses topping the old Mission Concepcion.
Mission Concepcion was dedicated in 1775, a year before the American Revolution began. The Franciscan church was part of a string of outposts set up by Spanish missionaries and funded by the Spanish government as it laid claim to Texas. The string of missions was intended to act as a buffer against French incursions into Spanish territory from Louisiana. It was named Our Lady of the Conception and de Acuña, the Marqués de Casafuerte. In Spanish, the mission is known as Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña.
Construction required 15 years to complete. The bedrock on which it stands has allowed the structure to remain intact for the past 200-plus years. Even the roof is original. Mission Concepcion is the least-restored colonial structure in the national park.
Click here to order this beautiful black-and-white print.