Fire in the Sky

It’s so hard to capture how truly magnificent the sunset was last night. Here are the before and after photos of my attempt to do so.

BEFORE

 

AFTER

Any suggestions, comments? Thanks!

Different is Beautiful

We should not be afraid to stand out in a crowd. All through my life I have struggled comparing myself with others; whether in work, as a mom, as a wife, friend, etc. I love how this picture shows the beauty in being different; in not trying to be like everyone else. Each of us has qualities that are unique and special. Without them, life would be a dull canvas.

At times I feel overwhelmed at the needs around me and my guilt for not praying for, financially supporting or acting in a way to meet those needs. But when I realize that God has created each of us to do good works that He has prepared for US, I am free to let the guilt go knowing that I was not created to do it all and He has equipped others to share in those areas.

We are each unique in our abilities. We are each created with purpose and value. Likewise, our individual artistic eye in photography touches lives in special ways. And we are free to be beautifully different.

“In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.” Romans 12:6a (NLT)

Keep it Simple

Working from home can get a little lonely as they day drags on. But I enjoy it somewhat…using the day as I see fit. Hopefully I have more productive days than not. Just turn on some music and click-clack away on the computer. Then pausing for a moment to capture my little Maggie. She enjoys the quiet too and then is ready for someone to play with her…or give her some food. Such simple requests. Such a simple life. And sometimes it’s fun to practice photography with the simplest of tools…my iPhone.

I think I can tend to complicate things and find myself paralyzed by perfection. But when I break it down, it becomes simpler, more do-able. And I’m less trapped by my perfectionism and more prone to action. I find life becomes richer in the process.

“…And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Life…broken down in simple steps. If only it were that easy. But I’m thankful for each day that I get to try.

Nice Save

We spent our entire Saturday at a volleyball tournament. Isn’t it funny how tired you get from just sitting around all day? And it’s not even like we’ve earned the right to complain about how tired we are…those girls are the ones who exerted constant sweat and effort all day, not us. They are the ones who have something to show for the time spent that day. We just have our flat backsides!

I don’t want that to be all I have to show for the time given to me. I want my time on this earth to count for something. Not necessarily riches and fame for I’ve seen what that can do to people…and I prefer my quiet life. But at the end of the day, I want to know that I wasn’t wasteful with the gift of time given to me. Likewise, I want my photography to count for something, to benefit others, to make a difference somehow…big or small.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV)

In and Out of Balance

Work, family, chores, school activities, appointments, hobbies, friends, church, quiet time….are they in balance? For short periods maybe and then….WHAM! Or maybe not wham, but…”What if I do what I feel like instead of what I know I should do?” Therein lies the problem to my balance issues.

A lot of the times I feel like Paul when he says in Romans 7:18-19, “And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Aaaaaghh!! So frustrating!

I am so glad God’s mercies are new every morning…I’m sure I drain them starting the moment I get out of bed. My intentions are good. I even make a list of all the productive things I plan to get done, but it is amazing how long that list lasts. Like my dog who’s attention span is the size of a flea (unless it involves food), I allow myself to be drawn away to other things. Those things usually involve satisfying selfish desires that truly only benefit me.

I berate myself, ask forgiveness and determine to do it right the next day…knowing full well that I will fail again but thankful for the Lord’s forgiveness, patience and grace undeserved.

Look Outside of Yourself

This photo was taken while my daughter was watching for the school bus this morning. I love the quiet emotion. So many ways to interpret what she’s thinking. For me, it reminds me of how I have felt many times in my life looking out from inside the limitations I’ve placed on myself, wanting to be a part of what’s going on in the world. And then I hear my adult self saying, “Get out there. If you want to do it, then do it!”

I accomplished that last night while visiting an older friend battling cancer. She is a widow who spent her life taking care of her sick mom and then her ailing husband. Now it’s time for us to take care of her. I knew I should stop by, but I was always “busy” or unsure if I would be interrupting her…what would we talk about? Enough with the questions…just get out there and do it! So I did. We had a nice visit and she sent me on my way with, “I love you.” Why did I wait so long?

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

Natural Beauty

One of the things I want to do with my photography is bring out the beauty in people and places…the natural beauty. I’ve seen lots of striking images and wondered how much post processing was done. That was part of my intimidation with other photographers. I assumed that their amazing photos were the result of some extraordinary ability to capture it straight out of the camera. Boy was I wrong!

Once I was able to see several before and after photos, I realized that they were just like me. I was already capturing photos similar in quality to their SOOC shots, but I needed to learn to bring out the natural beauty that my eye wanted to see.

Today I followed a tutorial for post processing in PSE using a photo of this beautiful woman…my mom. It was really helpful to do it all by hand first and not rely on special actions. Only by understanding how something was done am I truly able to appreciate and use the actions to their fullest extent.

“You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” 1 Peter 3:4

BEFORE

AFTER

New Lesson

Today I worked on an online Photoshop class and scoured photo blogs. One of the things I learned was how to do was a simple BW conversion using Gradient Maps in PSE10. Like I said, it was simple. No fancy actions, just a simple edit that I can tailor to my artistic taste. That’s what I need to find, my artistic taste. It will develop, but I have to keep from comparing myself to other photographers. They all have their own unique style and design qualities, much like a painter or sculptor. And so do I.

Here is a before and after example.

BEFORE

AFTER

No Thief Like Fear

A friend of mine told me about a recent album she was listening to so I checked out Jason Gray on iTunes and found the song, “No Thief Like Fear.” It reminded me that my worst enemy is my own insecurity. It will steal life from me if I let it. God wants me to live in freedom and has set me free from the chains of fear, I just need to walk away from them.

I realize that I am limiting myself when I live in my comfort zone. I need to fight against my insecurities and go after the life God want’s me to live. Whether that’s applying for new jobs or pursuing a stay at home career as a photographer or something else.

I don’t want Fear to steal from me any more.