Bent spires and stained glass windows
On Fifth Avenue, across from the famous statue of Atlas at Rockefeller Centre, is a Manhattan landmark, St. Patrick's Cathedral. Set as a jewel amidst the steel-and-glass curtain-walled office towers, St. Patrick's is … well … unique. The outside is sky-reflecting marble, cut into all shapes of pinnacles, protrusions, crannies, crevices, and clefts.
It captured my attention on a rainy day in September 2003. There are many pictures of the cathedral and in most of them, the entire ediface can't be seen. Challenged, I set about creating a photo that would show off most of its famous—and photogenic—features.
The scoffer will say this is actually cheating, since it's really four separate frames composited into a single image. Sure, I'll agree.
But isn't it marvelous, seeing in one image the cross-topped spires, the intertwined stained glass, and those massive doors with their homage to the saints.
My mother spent parts of her youth, early adulthood, and retirement living in New York. She loved the Big Apple. More than any other place in New York, she loved St. Patrick's.
I framed this for her 86th birthday. When she moved into assisted living, she insisted I hang it on the wall where she could see it as she was propped up on her pillows. I like to think it was the last thing she saw when she slipped away.
For more examples of my composite images, see "Pick up" band at Golden Gate park and So... does the earth really curve like this?
© 2026 Michael Heavener