IF you have been to a big event at St Stephen’s Cathedral in the last decade then chances are you have seen Alan Edgecomb.
He has been the man behind the camera since 2009 and his photos have graced the front page of countless editions of The Catholic Leader.
This year, as part of the cathedral’s 150th year anniversary celebrations, Mr Edgecomb is holding an exhibition of 66 candid photographs from the last 15 years.
He said it has been “absolutely wonderful” to photograph the cathedral over so many years.
The 66 photos were distilled from a collection of thousands, he said.
He wanted the photos to tell a true story about the cathedral and about the space, showing it from a new perspective.
“None of the photographs are photoshopped,” he said.
“None of it is posed, it’s all candid.
“What you see is what it was; it’s as it happened.”
Going back through photos since 2009, he said there were so many highlights but two stood out for him in particular – multicultural Masses and ordinations.
He said the multicultural Mass brings so much for a photographer to work with and he has loved being able to capture the joy of people expressing their cultures.
As for ordinations, he said, he has enjoyed capturing the men as they go through the sacred moments of their ordination and watching them grow in their ministries in the years after.
Mr Edgecomb has also taken his fair share of photos of Brisbane’s archbishops.
He started photographing the cathedral towards the end of Archbishop John Bathersby’s time as archbishop.
He said Archbishop Bathersby always had such a great sense of humour.
He fondly remembers many warm conversations with him after events he photographed.
When Archbishop Mark Coleridge arrived, Mr Edgecomb was struck by his oration and ability to speak widely on just about any topic.
The bulk of his tenure photographing the cathedral has been under Archbishop Coleridge.
“I think I have taken more photographs of Archbishop Coleridge than anyone,” he said with a laugh.
The exhibition Benedictus is being held from March 15 to 22 in the cathedral precinct.
