Keen eye connects human spirit and divine

Majid Khodabandehloo’s photographic eye and filmmaking craft have opened the door to creative opportunities in Portugal, Italy, Russia, the U.S., his homeland of Iran, his adopted country, Canada, and beyond.

No matter where he visits, Khodabandehloo feels most at home inside a Catholic church.

“Always it is the cathedrals that attract me the most,” said the founder and CEO of Red Maple Film Studio (RMFS). “They are so beautiful, and they make you feel so calm and peaceful as you walk around taking pictures of the stained glass, murals and the church itself.”

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Khodabandehloo has captured over 50 houses of worship across four different continents using a variety of photographic styles, including High Dynamic Range (HDR), still, long exposure and 360-degree imagery.

He is passionate about creating digital twins and 3D virtual tours of Canadian heritage buildings. His driving mission is to deploy Matterport camera technology and its spatial data platform to create interactive online duplicates of major Catholic churches in big cities and small towns across Canada.

RMJS has already created 3D virtual tours of St. Patrick's Basilica, St. Anthony of Padua Church and Blessed Sacrament Church in Ottawa; St. Francois de Sales Church in Gatineau, Que.; and St. Clare of Assisi Church in Woodbridge, Ont. Additionally, he digitally twinned the famed igloo-shaped St. Jude’s Anglican Cathedral in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

“It is the combination of the camera and a laser (light) scanner called LiDAR,” said Khodabandehloo about the process. “Each place you put your camera is one spherical capture. The photographer should (then) go and hide somewhere so you are not in the pictures. In some places I (situate) the camera, I go somewhere else and press capture on my iPad. For some churches, I (get) up to 140 spherical photos.”

Regarding exterior shots, he pilots drones for aerial shots that also incorporate the surrounding cityscape. This technology also photographs stained glass windows or other features long considered unviewable.

“(So many) churches have stained glass that is so high that no one can see it,” said Khodabandehloo. “At St. Patrick’s Basilica you have the rose window. People who have worked there for 20 or 30 years have not seen it because it’s so high and in front of the arch. I went there and took the aerial photo and captured it in very high quality.”

The nearly 30-year film and media industry veteran views creating panoramic models of as many churches as conceivable as an endeavour worth pursuing. He explained the many potential benefits of virtual tours.

“Most importantly, 3D virtual tours ensure the stories embodied within Canada's churches remain accessible to everyone,” he stated. “They bridge geography, mobility and time, transforming historic buildings into living educational resources that inspire curiosity, preserve cultural memory and celebrate the architectural and spiritual heritage that has helped shape Canada's national identity.”

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He also suggested digital twins are useful for pilgrimage companies, postsecondary institutions specializing in the study of sacred architecture, Canadian heritage projects from museums or cultural organizations, or even potential newcomers to Catholicism seeking an online glimpse before a first in-person visit.

It was Khodabandehloo’s hope one day to capture the historic 108-year-old Saint-Simon Catholic Church on the Acadian Peninsula, but that dream was extinguished as the tallest wooden church in New Brunswick was torched Aug. 24. Authorities deemed the fire intentional and 68-year-old Gilles Mallet was arrested and charged with arson.

Khodabandehloo shared that this “unfortunate event highlights the importance of my project” to create “high fidelity digital twins of sacred spaces. Along with safeguarding the architectural and artistic memory of churches lost to fiery destruction, parishes that are sold and repurposed would also be “preserved forever for public access and education.”

The Moscow State University of Arts and Culture Master of Arts graduate is applying for a Canadian Heritage Grant to advance this initiative. Khodabandehloo’s hope is for the selection committee to consider the project as an important cultural enterprise and to deem him the right man to get the job done.

Since his 2008 arrival in Canada, Khodabandehloo has uploaded many detailed photos and virtual tours of parishes to Google Maps in addition to his contributions to the Matterport platform. On many occasions, St. Patrick's Basilica in Ottawa is an example; he receives a commission to complete these immersive photographic assignments.

And during the early 2000s, while living in Moscow, Khodabandehloo served as director of photography for several religious documentary projects produced by the Domus Patris Film Studio.

A notable effort from this period was the 12-episode television docuseries The Holy Art that aired in 2001. It explored the profound connections between these holy spaces and their adorners and contemplated “how sacred art acts as a spiritual bridge, uplifting the human spirit and guiding people toward a deeper connection with the divine."

Khodabandehloo has conducted a very similar investigation during his years in Canada, as photographing the country’s sacred spaces has gifted him with significant exposure to the work of Guido Nincheri, the Italian-Canadian painter and designer widely heralded as the “Michelangelo of Canada.” Nincheri rendered stained glass and frescoes in more than 220 North American churches, and at least 40 per cent of his output was in Quebec.

Standing inside the St. Leon Church in Westmount, Que., was an awe-inducing experience for Khodabandehloo as he gazed at the overhead fresco of Revelation 5, God enthroned in His Heavenly Court and the stained-glass windows depicting the life of Christ.

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“You have the feeling that you are standing in Vatican because of the feeling of space and the kinds of murals on the roof and ceiling,” said Khodabandehloo, who has established a Google Map with pinned locations of churches across North America featuring Nincheri’s work.

But Khodabandehloo is ready to go beyond points on a map. He wants the artistry of Nincheri and generations of Canadian master builders and artists to be admired forever, even if certain of these parishes one day close for good.

(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)

A version of this article appeared in the September 27, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Keen eye connects human spirit and divine".