In the Beginning God Created...

In the Beginning God Created....

A recurring theme for me this year has been the story of creation in the first chapter of Genesis. Throughout the year I have heard about creation through messages, lyrics, books, and conversations. When I began to become aware of this theme, I started to pay closer attention.  Since one of the ways that I connect with God is by being in His creation, I do not tire of the creation story. As I began pondering this, I realized that anything we take a photograph of is part of creation in some form. There are many different directions we could take with this topic, but what stands out for me is the explicit detailed attention that God gave to the uniqueness of everything He created. It is utterly amazing when I contemplate the vastness of it all.

Bearing God's image is an important aspect of the creation story. This is nothing new in one sense, but as a photographer it takes on a new meaning. For anyone who enjoys photography at any level we get the privilege of reflecting the image of God in a unique way.  Our own uniqueness as a photographer is part of it, and what we reflect  will capture different parts of the wonder of His creation. Some photographers gravitate toward capturing the essence of people, whether they are celebrating life, participating in sports, or just being.  Others are pulled toward nature in all its various forms: the insect world, the animal kingdom, landscapes, or the majesty of the sky.  In all of this what we end up doing is literally reflecting the image of God.

Have you ever thought about how you reflect creation in the uniqueness of your photography? What would it be like to ask this question the next time you are capturing a photo: "How do you want me to reflect Your image, Lord?"  Prayerfully consider asking God to show you in a new way the depth and detail of His creation in whatever you gravitate toward in your photography.

As you capture God's image over the next few weeks please post them.

Celesa 

Thinking Outside the Box

A good friend of mine sent me this article:
What Steve Jobs Taught Me About Creativity.
Because I associate photography with creativity, and feel intimidated by the name Steve Jobs, I wondered if I was going to feel under qualified by the conclusion of the article.  To my surprise, that is not what happened.

Several statements from the article captured my attention as I thought about my photography abilities.


Know Your Talent, Not Stuff~But what Jobs laced in expertise, he made up for in his ability to think outside the box.

Learning the basics of your camera is necessary, but once that has taken place, as you think about the way you engage with photography, where do you think outside the box?  What thins about your photography make it unique?

Thinking Beats Knowing~We can each bring to our field an ability to think differently.  There may be someone who has a better grasp of lenses...but if you can see something that they can't see, you've got all you need to succeed.

Have you ever thought about success in this way? How can you begin to think differently as things capture your attention that you want to share with others?

If these statements are as thought-provoking to you as they were tome, maybe the questions fromt he first article I posted a few months ago would help trigger some creativity:

What perspective do I need in this moment? What lens am I seeing through?  Ask God what He wants you to see.

The concluding statement of the article was this: The most important lesson that I learned from Steve Jobs was that what I know is less important than how I think.

As you engage in photography these winter months, ask God how you can be creative for His glory.

Show your creativity by posting a few winter pictures.  I would love to see them!

Celesa

Exploring Metaphors

Metaphors, parables, analogies, similes, symbols...



The metaphor, then, is not simply a figure of speech. It is a habit of thought, one we must develop in order to see.  The habit of metaphor allows us to see the large from the small, the pattern in chaos, that which is not expected, that which is expected, in new ways. Metaphor allows us to see relationships. Ultimately it is the relationships which constitute nature, not collections of individual objects.--Steven J. Meyers

A few weeks ago, after being at my computer for about 8 hours straight, I headed home to get caught up on some things I had been putting off.  Because I had been indoors since just before daybreak I did not realize this particular fall day was so lovely.  So, on the ride home I decided to put things at home off a little longer, grab my camera, and go for a walk. After taking some long deep breaths and delighting in the time I would have with God in His creation, I asked Him, "What do you want me to see?"

My destination was a pond that I had been to just weeks before. I quickened my pace to get there in time to capture the sunlight on the pond at sunset.  I quickly walked past some late blooming day lilies.  It intrigued me that on an early November day I would still see small yellow flowers.  Then from the corner of my eye I saw a late bloomer that I could only conclude had been transformed by the frost into something unique.

After thinking about the flower's yellow beauty only a few short weeks ago, a metaphor started to take shape in  my mind.  I began thinking about what is left behind when we leave this life. Even though the color/flesh is gone, there is something beautiful  that remains. The picture in this post represents that for me...

What memory of you will be left behind when you leave this life?  What transformed your life here on earth?  As you look through a different lens and contemplate the quote above, think back to photographs you have taken when a similar thing may have happened. Have you been able to develop a metaphor from any of these pictures? Please post your experience--I would enjoy hearing about it!

Celesa
ReflectionsThat Come

What Lens Do You See Through?



Prime, Zoom, Ultrawide, Wide, Telephoto, Specialty lens, Macro

All of these types of lenses meet specific needs in photography. Depending on what you are trying to capture will depend on the lens you choose. For me, there is another depth to the lens that I see through that is not quite as tangible.

 

About 4 years ago I began noticing things around me on my daily walk in a way that I hadn’t before. There was a depth to my outside world that hadn’t been there in my younger years. Discovering and absorbing God’s creation in a unique way became a new aspect of connecting with Him. Amazement in the wonder of sunrise, the beauty of clouds, the soaring of birds, the nuances in smells, the tones in sounds…many details that I hadn’t noticed before. 

Have you ever give that much thought? What if the enjoyment of photography was more than getting all the settings right or learning everything that your camera has to offer?

The next time you are out and about, as you are preparing to snap the next picture, take time for the depths of colors in the sky, watch the rapidness of the sunrise and how quickly the atmosphere changes, take time to count the variety of birds there are. Close your eyes for a few minutes and notice the sounds and smell in God’s creation, what do you notice that you hadn’t before? If you are not an outside kind of person, find a way to change what I have described to match with what you gravitate toward in photography.

Some questions you can ask God as you begin think about photography through a not so tangible lens…

What perspective do I need in this moment?

What lens am I seeing through?

What do You want me to see God?

Encounter for the month: The beauty in the fall colors have been lovely. Now that many leaves are on the ground take some time over the next few weeks and choose one or more of the questions above to ask God to help you be a little more intentional about what you are capturing. Please post your experience both in photo and in word. We would enjoy seeing and hearing about it!