During my last road trip, I visited the Heinz Memorial Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. This is a very popular tourist destination, so it's not easy to photograph the interior without large crowds.

As I entered the chapel in the early afternoon, there were about 15 people inside the chapel. I asked the attendant when it might be best to return with fewer people. He expected the chapel to be busy throughout the day and said that it would be best to return just before closing or right at the opening the following day. About five minutes after this conversation, the 15 people who were inside the chapel left...and I suddenly had the chapel to myself!

I thought that I might only have the interior of the chapel to myself for a few minutes, so I worked very quickly. After about 20 more minutes the attendant asked me if I wanted to get some shots from the balcony. The balcony was closed off to the the general public, but with his permission I captured images from this more advantageous viewpoint. During the time, I still had this incredible chapel to myself!

Once I had captured my last picture from the balcony, a large group of visitors entered the chapel. From then on, it was crowded with people.

I returned the next morning when the chapel opened. This time, a different attendant was on duty. As I went to set up a picture from the floor level, she began questioning me about why I was taking pictures. Access to the balcony was not an option. It was clear that photography during my return trip wasn't going to be nearly the favorable experience that it was during my visit the previous day.

So, it can sometimes pay off to visit a location more than once. And, I was very fortunate to be able to capture photographs of this magnificent cathedral during my visit to Pittsburgh.

Heinz Memorial ChapelHeinz Memorial Chapel at S Bellefield Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 29, 2019