By Mary Colurso
Talk to David Graves for an hour, and it’s easy to imagine him hiking a mountain in Alabama and stopping to soak in the sunrise. You can picture him admiring a cityscape in Birmingham, sizing up a lighthouse on the Gulf Coast or appreciating the cascade of a waterfall at Little River Canyon.
Graves, 52, makes his living as a pharmaceutical sales representative, but photography is his creative outlet and his passion. He fairly glows with enthusiasm when talking about his experiences behind the camera — nature, food and people photos are his specialties — and Graves is eager to discuss a new project that’s been especially absorbing and satisfying.
In 2023, the Birmingham resident spent about eight months traveling to churches throughout his home state, taking reverent photos of stained glass windows. Graves visited 100 churches during that time period, inspired by his love of beauty and his own religious faith. When all was said and done, he assembled a collection of 600 photos, carefully selected and precisely edited.
“The colors, the pews and the light shining through the stained glass tell a universal story,” Graves says. “Week after week, generation after generation, a message of hope resonates. People have walked through these doors weary, hopeless and tired, only to be met with grace, hope and love.”
Graves chose 150 of his photos — showcasing stained glass at 75 churches of various denominations — and assembled them into a book, “Alabama Faith: Churches and Stained Glass.” The self-published hardcover, which spans 140 pages, features churches that range from Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Huntsville to Spring Hill Baptist Church in Mobile. (See photos from the book in the gallery at the top of this post.)
“Alabama Faith,” priced at $34.95, made its debut in mid-October and is available via Amazon. Graves also has been spreading the word about his book on social media, at signings and at speaking events over the past month or so.
According to the photographer, sharing these images with others has been a soul-stirring experience.
“It’s humbling, because I never anticipated signing a single book for anyone when I did this project,” Graves says. “I feel a sense of completion, satisfaction and humility, that people are responding to it. My dad used to say, ‘When you give a gift, whatever they do with it is up to them. You’ve given the gift.’ So for me, on the date of the book launch, I had given the gift.”
During a recent interview with AL.com, Graves discussed the origins of his book, which date back to a childhood experience in Thomasville. He talked about his ideas as a photographer, his favorite gear — that would be the Canon R5 Mark II with an RF15-35mm lens — and his enduring goals. Graves also explained why his current place of worship, The Church at Brook Hills, isn’t included in his book. (”They don’t have stained glass.”)
Here are some excerpts from our conversation with Graves, edited for length and clarity.
How did you get started as a photographer?
David Graves: I was working very hard, and I had a good friend sit me down and say, “You don’t have a balanced life. You need to make time to recharge, and be the best version of you that works hard, but also needs to enjoy other things.” He encouraged me to make a bucket list. The first place I went was to Ireland. I wanted to take beautiful pictures there, and as a result I began to study on my own. I didn’t take classes — it was a lot of research, learning, trying, failing. You’re never going to be good at something until you’re willing to be bad at it.
If someone walked into your house in Birmingham, would they know you’re a photographer? Are your photos displayed everywhere?
Yes, they would know, except my camera gear is not out anywhere. It’s kept away in a hard case, and I always take it with me. I always stay what I call “camera ready.” My batteries are always charged. If I’m somewhere, my camera gear is with me, just because you never know when you’ll see something beautiful you want to capture.
I think we have a responsibility to highlight beautiful things, because many people are either caught up in the 24-hour news cycle or moving from event to event with their children or their family. They never take time to pause and be in awe of anything. They don’t look up. I find myself, when I’m driving, looking up toward the sky. I’m looking for beautiful moments that I may not take a picture of, but I want to remember it. I have a responsibility to point out and see the other beautiful things around me.
Tell us about the genesis of this book, “Alabama Faith.” Where did the idea come from?
The core memory is, when we were kids in Thomasville, there was a night where our dad took us to the church and left the lights off. To be able to see the light coming through the stained-glass window, shining on those pew — even at the age of 10 or 12, I just remember that was such a special moment. It was a cool memory. But it wasn’t until I got into photography and I was sharing that story with somebody, about two-and-a-half years ago — a friend said, “Hey, with all your travels, you should take pictures of stained glass.”
So on Feb. 25, 2023, as I’m driving, I see Palmerdale Methodist Church. I turned left, I pulled in the parking lot and said, “Hi, I’m a photographer. I’d be so honored to take pictures of your stained glass.” I asked them to leave the lights off. When I took the first picture, in the back of my mind, I said, “OK, I’m going to go around the state and take these pictures.”
You mentioned your dad turning the lights off at the church. Was he a minister?
No, he was a member of a small Southern Baptist church, Pineview Baptist Church in Thomasville. Many of the members had a key. We lived about 200 yards from the church. So he unlocked the door, we went in and sat on the front pew, and those lights were off. It was just such a beautiful, sweet, warm memory that I cherish with my siblings.
Why did you want to showcase these photos in a book?
First, this book is a historical book. Some of the churches have already changed names, for example. Second, It is a book that reminds people. It brings up memories You may not have lived in Alabama, but there’ll be a window in this book that that reminds you of the church where you grew up. Last, it is a conversation piece. The goal is that you turn to somebody and share your memory with them. There are several empty pages in the book, so people can write down a memory and give the book as a gift to someone.
It’s also an opportunity. We’ve lost the ability to share our story with other people. We’re looking for likes and retweets or comments on social media, instead of sitting across from somebody sharing our story. Week after week, generation after generation, people have walked into all these places, these sacred spaces, tired, weary, and hopeless. The story these windows tell is that they’ve given people strength and given them hope.
How did you choose the churches to photograph?
I did a lot of research. There were painstaking hours of research, finding out which churches had stained glass and then mapping it out, calling the church to see if they’d allow me to take photos. There are 75 churches in the book, and 150 photos. I could probably photograph 500 churches in Alabama with stained glass, and have stories with each one.
Is there a perfect time to shoot photos in a church with stained glass, to catch the light just the way you want it?
No, there’s not, because when you stand in the back of the sanctuary, every church has its own characteristics, whether it be the color of the wood, or the paint, or the color of the windows. There is no perfect time. But my goal was to always capture the light reflecting off the surface. I think that light reflecting off the surface is the reminder of a story of hope that hasn’t changed throughout the years. That same light reflected 125 years ago to somebody else, as it does today. In the same way, the message has not changed. It’s still offering hope and redemption to every person.
Can you share any favorite moments, anything special you experienced while taking these photos?
I was in First Baptist Church in Montgomery. I happened to look up and there was stained glass in the center of the ceiling. So I’m laying on my back on the ground, taking photos. I had to say to my host, “Please forgive me for a moment.” So I’m laying flat on my back, looking up, taking pictures straight into the ceiling. It’s one of my favorite pictures in the book.
Did you have any surprises as a photographer while doing this project?
There’s a beautiful church not far from my home, Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic, that I knew was there. But until I went to take pictures and I walked into the church, I had no idea how incredible this place was. And the same thing in Mobile — there are just some incredibly profound churches there. Christ Church is one of those; it’s one of the oldest church in the state. … Auburn United Methodist is the same way, such a treasured history there. They have an old sanctuary and a new one, and there are such different characteristics between the two. It’s great to be able to capture all of that.
How do you feel when taking photos like these?
When I’m taking photographs, my world gets really quiet. All the sound goes away. If you were standing there as I take pictures, I wouldn’t hear you speaking. … I capture a moment in time. That’s my preference. This is one moment in time. This moment’s here; it’s gone.
Did you have a specific goal in mind for this book? Or a big takeaway for readers?
One of my goals as a photographer is, I always want people to lean in with curiosity to any photo, whether it’s nature or whether it’s stained glass windows. And with this book … I hope it encourages people. My note in the front of the book says, “This is my love letter to the local and global church and to the state of Alabama.” I love our state. I love so many beautiful things that we have, and to be able to turn that light toward what is valuable in our state. People can take this book, and use it as a roadmap and visit many of these churches.
What does this project mean to you as a person of faith?
It reminds me that I need to slow down every day, and be reminded of times when I had no hope, and I needed to be encouraged or I needed redemption. I’m not immune to that message — as a matter of fact, I need that message as much as anybody.
Now I’m privy to pictures of these churches that I can flip through, and it takes me back to the moment in that church. And I can remember how I felt in that moment. As I look at Auburn United Methodist Church, or Christ Cathedral in Mobile, or Church at The Steeple in Mobile, it’a all inspirational.
I am so honored to be able to put all this together and lay it at the feet of the reader and say, “I hope you’re encouraged.” That’s what I receive every day. When I take those moments to reflect, I’m just very grateful.
Anything else you’d like people to know about “Alabama Faith”?
People often say, “Hey, if your house caught on fire, what would you grab?” I’d grab my computer, but I would also grab this box I have, with every handwritten letter I’ve received since 1997. I love handwritten letters. In light of that, this book is my handwritten letter to the people of Alabama, to say, “This is a beautiful thing.” To say, “Pause, unplug from everything else in the world, flip through these pages, be reminded about beautiful things in your faith.”
“Alabama Faith: Churches and Stained Glass,” is available via Amazon.com. For more on David Graves Photography, visit his his website or Instagram. To reach him via email, it’s alabamafaithbook@gmail.com.
