How I got the shot: Jonathan Stokes on distilling Marseille's past, present and future

Tell us about this image. 

The Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure appears alongside its mirror image, reflected in the glass of Mucem, a museum devoted to Mediterranean culture in Europe and North Africa. Both buildings are a short walk from Marseille’s Vieux Port (Old Port), which has linked Europe to Africa for centuries and was redeveloped prior to the city being made the European Capital of Culture in 2013. For me, the area really sums up Marseille: a cosmopolitan coastal city immensely proud of its heritage and equally optimistic about its future.

How did you achieve the shot? 

When I’m on assignment, I always keep a zoom lens to hand to capture those more unexpected moments. For this shot, I used a 24-70mm lens, shooting quite wide to capture the cathedral in its entirety and using the intricate lattice pattern on the dome as my focal point. I was standing in a stairwell leading towards Mucem at the time, so I placed the camera against the glass to obtain as seamless a reflection as possible. 

What were the challenges at play? 

When you’re roaming the streets, it can be difficult to keep track of the sunlight. If I’d visited the cathedral later in the day, it might have been in shadow, so I had to find the right moment. Before taking this shot, I walked around Mucem’s perimeter, taking note of the different views it had to offer. I was instinctively drawn to the reflections in the glass and knew there would be a shot to take somewhere there.

What did you enjoy most about this project?

I know Marseille very well, so working on this assignment forced me to look again at familiar locations. Searching for new angles and perspectives gave me a fresh appreciation for the diversity of the city and reminded me how enjoyable a place it is to explore on foot. In Marseille, you can be walking along an ancient city street and suddenly find yourself in a harbour staring out at these big coastal views.