I remember once hearing Charlie Waite's pictures described as like tableau, and this set me thinking about what I liked about the square format. In equal proportions in both directions, it promotes a sense of containment, abhors diagonals and racing depth, favours instead something settled, upright and stately – with the achievement of depth often by stepping upwards and backwards through the picture. This is an example of such a composition.

The placing of shadow is still quite important in a photograph like this. The band of shadow is perfect for hiding the uglier scree slopes, and helps create layers of depth as we step upwards and backwards; the shadows draping the tops of the peaks help stop them drawing too much away from the church at the bottom. About the only thing I could wish for is a tiny bit of shadow to creep up on the base of the picture, to help sit the church on a platform.