How I know God guides my photography.....

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies announce what his hands have made. Day after day they tell the story; night after night they tell it again. They have no speech or words; they have no voice to be heard. But their message goes out through all the world; their words go everywhere on earth."
Psalm 19: 1 - 4 (NCV).

Every time I look through the lens of my camera I see God working. Every day He reveals His majesty. Every night He shows me how He creates beauty even in the darkness. Even if I had not known Him before I started taking photos, the moment I looked at His creation up close (or far away) I see His glory and He guides me to see His beauty in all He has created. Photography just allows me to capture an image of what He has created.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Dragonfly up close and personal


Sometimes don’t you just like to get up close to nature and zoom in on the small things in life? Macro photography is just that. Getting a close up view of nature and seeing things just a little bit differently than you normally do. Many years ago (too many to want to count) I remember the fascination I had with the microscope. Small details that the eye doesn’t notice just jump off the screen (or once printed “off the paper”). This dragonfly that I noticed in my back yard is such an example. I’ll have to thank the little critter for staying so perfectly still and long enough for me to capture its image. Once I downloaded the digital image onto my computer, the once unnoticed colors and shapes came into view. The golden browns, the blues, the minute veins in its wings; all the way down to the invisible hairs on its body and legs. Things you would not notice if you just saw it flying bye. I did not even have time to go get my regular camera (Digital SLR), I just had my “carry where-ever I go” point and shoot Sony Cybershot 8.1 mega pixel camera. Just shows you that you can capture very good images with many of the newer simple to use cameras.


Photography is not always about the camera (although quality and great lenses really do help); most of the creative part of photography comes from the person behind the lens. Angle, lighting, focus, patience, and often time’s just plain old luck play a big part in taking good photos. I was fortunate this time to have all those elements. I don’t know if having my Digital SLR and macro-lens would have made a difference with this one photo as time was a factor that I just could not risk. Shoot with what I have, or risk loosing the shot all-together by going for the high end camera. I think I made the best choice.



Thursday, May 20, 2010

Amgen Tour 2010 Modesto CA - Team Radio Shack

Well another year and another fantastic Amgen Tour of California race here in Modesto, California. I had the best spot for seeing the faces of the racers as they slowed to round a corner near Enslen Elementary School. A few sprinkles of rain didn't dampen the crowd. This year I managed to capture Team Radio Shack and Lance Armstrong during Stage Four of the Tour. Unlike past years, the race circled three times giving me (and the hundreds of others who were next to me) the greatest view (short of the finish line) possible. Here are just a few of the photos I took. I hope you enjoy them (and the song by Queen - "I Want to Ride My Bicycle"). It just fits the tone of the race. Makes me "want to ride my bicycle" now also. Just click on the clip, turn up to volume, sit back, and let's go for a ride.