Category Archives: Photography

Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition II

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My sister made us this leaded glass piece, with beveled, clear glass and iridescent, frosted glass for a narrow bathroom window in our childhood home. Now it is mounted at our eastern-facing sink window. We love the prisms that the early morning light casts not only into the kitchen but also on living room walls and furniture.

However, on exceptionally cold days like today (-2 @ 8am), the frost patterns on the storm window accentuate the frost patterns in the leaded glass – art and life juxtaposed.

God’s design
Without flash to highlight iridescent quality of glass
Side by side examples of frost – real on exterior glass (left) and artistic.
With flash to highlight frost design in glass

1 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God;For it is pleasant and praise is becoming…16 He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes.

Psalm 147:1,16 (NIV)

HERE are more examples of “juxtaposition.”

Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition

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I’ve been visiting the local state park over the past few weeks since several bald eagles have been spotted in the area. So far, I’ve not “captured” the elusive bird, but there are thousands of Canadian geese in open water at the mostly frozen lake. Last Monday, I was taking some pictures and spied a rodent approaching a group of geese, who were sitting on the ice at the water’s edge. They were somewhat wary of this foraging muskrat and eventually took flight. So, here is the “juxtaposition” between land-bound and winged creatures. Obviously, the geese don’t have much “Muskrat Love.”

“That muskrat is getting a little too close.”
“Let’s get out of here!”
“To the safety of water.”
“Ah, the ice to ourselves.”
Feasting on underwater vegetation it just pulled up

After watching this muskrat’s intrusion on the gaggle of geese, I spotted what looked like two rocks on the water’s edge about 100 yards away. Through the lens I could see that they were, indeed, muskrats, who were feeding on something. Since this was my first time to see muskrats in the wild, I was intrigued at watching them eat, submerge into the icy water and then emerge with some underwater vegetation to continue their feasting.

For more examples of “juxtaposition,” click HERE.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Family

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Photographing our family not only gives us the chance to share something close to our heart, but affords us the opportunities often required to capture an image in a very special way. – Josh R (WordPress)

Our annual, family trip to Florida offers me a great time to chronicle (through photography) our family’s growth. While I’m able to get some good portrait shots, I enjoy capturing some silhouettes at dusk.This year I photographed my oldest daughter’s family of four in the day’s last light – mom and dad (side by side), toddler on dad’s back and the three year old running ahead.Beach Walk at DuskTwo years earlier, with only one child at the time, the same daughter’s family took off for a beach walk. My wife and I followed a short time later and I was pleased to find their steps in the sand preceding our path…a sweet representation of their family.

Foot Prints

Because this is an extended family event, this week’s header is changed to reflect our bigger family at play with a cornhole tournament.

For additional contributions to the “family” theme, go to Weekly Photo Challenge: Family

Weekly Photo Challenge: Let There Be Light!

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I missed a week of participation in the photo challenge (11.29.13), but still wanted to contribute something to that theme. I live on a corner and for a while the sodium-vapor street lamp, emitting its yellow hue, cycled on and off through the night. Recently, the city installed an LED light that is much more intense over the intersection, but creates less overall light pollution. However, it is positioned to illuminate my front yard quite well. With our first measurable snow occurring this past Sunday, the new light caused my bare maple tree to cast some long shadows, nicely contrasting the fresh, white ground cover.

IMGP8154

Of course, this is the Season of Light as Christians observe Advent, preparing for the celebration of Christ’s first coming. In one of the seven “I Am’s”* of Jesus in the Gospel of John, very clearly asserting His claim of deity, He spoke of His illuminating nature:

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

May this be a time in which many people discover the true Light of the World!

*Here is a short but thorough article on The “I Am’s” of Christ by Henry Morris.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Grand

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One of my favorite memories as a child was sitting on our large front porch, watching night-time thunderstorms roll through Memphis. However, tall oak trees in my neighborhood obscured distant lightning. Now in Iowa, I don’t have to go far to get a great vista of an evening storm rolling through rural Iowa. This early October storm could be seen brewing in the sunset and by 8:00 p.m., it was producing a light show 50 miles away over Atlantic, Iowa. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

While thunderstorms do have the potential of bringing a lot of damage, they are a powerful and grand demonstration of God’s power.

5 I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.                                              Psalm 135:5-7 (NIV)

For more examples of “grand,” check them out HERE.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected

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I’m a little late in this contribution to the photo challenge of “unexpected” (posted 11.22.13). But, better late than sorry:

So, your photo challenge this week is to capture something unexpected. You can also interpret the theme in other ways: a street scene or landscape that just doesn’t look quite right, an impromptu portrait of a loved one, or any other image that reveals a sense of surprise.

During this past extended Thanksgiving weekend, a beagle, who we owned during her first year of life, came to visit while her current owner went out-of-town. We gave Bailey to friends after we found her a little too high-strung for town life. She needed a rural area to run free and other dogs as companions, and both needs were supplied at her new home. However, she still loves to visit. If she is not outside on leash, she takes her spot on the back of the couch and watches for squirrels in the front yard.

On guard duty

On guard duty

Her visits always necessitate “dog-proofing” because she loves to shred tissues from the garbage cans and scavenge for other odds and ends to chew. With my home office door closed and off-limits to her, I’m less concerned about that area being pristine. However, I left the door open as I was reading in my recliner, and Bailey came in to see me. After rooting around my chair for a minute, she made signs of a hasty retreat (indicating she had something I would not approve of her having). I quickly grabbed her collar and then my camera at seeing the unexpected protrusion from her mouth.

After dinner toothpick

Who doesn’t occasionally need an after-dinner toothpick

We’re sorry to see Bailey go when she leaves, but we don’t regret giving her up to have a richer life of snake hunting, rabbit chasing and rough housing with her dog companions.

For more “unexpected” photo, check out WordPress – Weekly Photo Challenge.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

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A sunset without clouds is “blah.” So, I always hope for a non-obscured drop of the sun below the sea’s horizon, but to have clouds in the sky to reflect layers of the sun’s final hues. This was the last sunset of our vacation in Florida and God painted a masterpiece with textured layers of color!

Last Sunset 2013

For more examples of “layers” go to Word Press Photo Challenge: Layers.

Here is an additional video of that sunset:

Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon

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As one of my daughters said, “We live from October to October.” This month is when our family meets in Florida for our annual vacation. Since most of our activities are centered around the beach, the horizon is sort of constant companion. Whether scanning for passing dolphins and taking in the last rays of the day, the line between sea and sky is always there.

October Sunrise from the condo balcony
Corn Hole at Sunset
Grandmother and granddaughter beach combing
Sunset Rainbow
Passing Dolphin

The “genesis” of our horizons:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:1-5 NASB)

To find out about this week’s challenge and link to more entries, click HERE

Weekly Photo Challenge: Good Morning!

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My wife and I have a regular morning practice of rising early to have a spiritual devotional time together. The tools we use are the Bible, a devotional guide or book (my favorite is Daily with the King – W. Glyn Evans) and a cup of coffee. After reading, we spend some time in prayer for our church, family and ourselves. Because we believe Christianity is relational, this is always a special time with the Lord, Jesus Christ and each other as we seek to hear from God and spend time talking to Him through prayer. It is our way of having a “Good Morning!”

Good morning, Son!

Good morning, Son!

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.                                Mark 1:35 (NIV)

Just for fun, here is another “Good Morning” picture to amend a comment I made about Vladimir Brezina’s post Travel Theme: Relaxing. His first photo showed Johna having a cup of coffee on a sandbar. Occasionally, a few brave souls join us for sunrise on the beach during our vacation time. Since the end of October is a little chilly even on the Gulf Coast, daughter #2 has her feet raised off the cold sand. Daughter #1, holding sleeping baby, gives me the “don’t you dare take this picture” glare! Oh, well…there it is.

Good morning, Sun!

For more examples of “Good Morning!”, go to WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Saturated

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Michelle W. challenged contributors to show something saturated:

This week, show us a photo of whatever you’d like, but make sure it’s saturated. It can be black and white, a single color, a few hues, or a complete rainbow riot; just make sure it’s rich and powerful.

I chose to use a few pictures that were taken shortly after my purchase of a Pentax K-x at our favorite Florida beach spot. Experimenting with the high-contrast on filter, here are a few examples of saturated hues:

Old Man
San Destin in the West
Panama City Beach – Sunrise
Late morning sun

Foot in WaterDuring the same trip, I took a picture of my foot in the water… truly saturated! Looking forward to getting my feet in that water real soon.

A team from our church recently returned after a week of extending love and care in Guatemala City ghettos and orphanages. On their first Sunday back in church after the trip, one of the young adults asked if they could sing “How He Loves Us,” a song that became their theme for the week. Written by John Mark McMillan and perhaps better known by the David Crowder Band recording, it has long been one of my favorites. The line that captures my heart says, “If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.” I am grateful for the all-surpassing, all-saturating, thoroughly cleansing grace of God. 

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.   Ephesians 2:8 (HCSB)

For more interpretations of saturated, click HERE