Many times, photography requires patience.

During my last photo trip, I visited the Cathedral of the Madeleine Roman Catholic Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. During my first visit, I was pleased to find that the doors were open that morning. Upon entering, the beauty of the interior of the church was immediately evident. But, I was disappointed that the church was not lit. The church was so dark that I didn't bother taking any photographs.

I checked the schedule and learned that a mass would be held that night. So, I returned to the church in hopes of capturing some photographs of an illuminated interior once the mass ended. As I entered the church, a priest met me in the foyer. He told me that I would be permitted to take pictures in the church once the mass was over. He invited me to enter the church and participate in the mass until then.

Not being Catholic, it wasn't my intention to sit through a long mass. It was interesting for a while, but an hour passed and there was no end in sight. The program indicated that communion was yet to come. As it turns out, it was an extraordinarily long mass that night in celebration of the 104th anniversary of the church.

I didn't want to miss that night's sunset as I only had two nights to spend in Salt Lake City. So, I reluctantly decided to give up on the photo shoot of the church. As I was leaving, the same priest met me once again in the lobby. I explained that I needed to leave for the night. I asked if it might be possible to return the next day for the photo shoot.

The priest told me that nothing was scheduled at the church for the next day. But, he kindly offered to meet me at the church the next morning. He said he would open the doors and turn on all the lights. We agreed to meet at 10:00 am.

The next morning I arrived at the church at 9:45 am. The doors were open, but the interior was dark and there was no sign of the priest. I started shooting some photographs of the staircase to the bell tower. At 9:55 am, there was still no sign of the priest. I walked around the outside of the church for few minutes and reentered at 10:05 am. It was an amazing sight! The church was fully lit and organ music was being piped in. I had the church to myself for two hours--and I never did see the priest!

Here are a few photographs from the session:

Cathedral of the MadeleineCathedral of the Madeleine (1909) Roman Catholic Church at 331 E South Temple in Salt Lake City on August 16, 2013. This photograph consists of five exposures blended together using HDR Efex Pro2 software to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image. Cathedral of the MadeleineCathedral of the Madeleine (1909) Roman Catholic Church at 331 E South Temple in Salt Lake City on August 16, 2013. This photograph consists of three exposures blended together using HDR Efex Pro2 software to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image. Golden angelGolden angel statue in the Cathedral of the Madeleine (1909) Roman Catholic Church at 331 E South Temple in Salt Lake City on August 16, 2013. Pipe organPipe organ in front of stained glass window at the Cathedral of the Madeleine (1909) Roman Catholic Church at 331 E South Temple in Salt Lake City on August 16, 2013. This photograph consists of five exposures blended together using HDR Efex Pro2 software to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image. Cathedral of the Madeleine"Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross" painting in the Cathedral of the Madeleine (1909) Roman Catholic Church at 331 E South Temple in Salt Lake City on August 16, 2013.