Beauty Through the Lens

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I love the "theme verse" for our Lighthouse keepers, “As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10

 As I look back to my childhood I see how my passion for Photography was very much evident in so many ways.  As a  young girl it was not uncommon to see me with a camera in my hands snapping pictures. 
In Grade 7, I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in a photography class getting to know the camera and understand how to use light. Before I got married,  my boyfriend at the time,  made observation of my fascination with photography. So one year for Christmas he got me my very first SLR camera!! I was overjoyed with this big surprise!! Not realizing where it would take me. SOOOO, fast forwarding 16 years later 1 Peter 4:10 has become very real to me. 

 Photography is a form of Visual Art with many different aspects. You’ve heard the saying, 'A picture paints a thousand words,’….. I like to look at it as, 'Every picture is part of a story or journey in this life, a moment captured in history.'

 God has taught me what beauty is through the eye of the lens.  When I thought about putting a Bible verse to photography, I found Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11 
For everything there is a season. We all know seasons are short and seasons are precious to us. Memories, the people we even once knew, places, moments all fade from our minds over time. But photos are the only way, to hold on to what you once knew. A photograph to me is a pause button of life that you can always look back on.

 What kind of seasons do we NOT want to forget?…

 




"...a time to Love." 
Eccles 3:8
Weddings are one of the biggest milestone in one's life. Long before the time comes, ever girl dreams about her big day. There is so much planning and details that go into this special day. That special day comes and it goes. This is where I love to be right there to capture every special moment. From the bride and her ladies preparing themselves by getting their hair done, to putting on their special wedding garments. The groom waiting with anticipation to catch the first gimps of his beautiful  bride. The real emotion from the first time a groom sees his bride in her wedding garment walking down the isle. The moment when the father is walking her down the aisle  and then transferring his responsibility, care, and protection of his precious daughter over to this man. The Bride and Groom entering the marriage covenant by exchanging vows. Oh, I could go on and on… 

"For you formed my inward parts; 
you covered me in my mothers womb."
Psalms 139:13
The season of having babies. I am  experiencing and have been told the child bearing years just fly by. Another area where I love to capture moments is the beauty of a mother anticipating the arrival of her unborn baby. It’s such a time of change and transformation of her body. 

"... a time to be born..."
Eccles. 3:2
The baby is a sweet fragile  blossom of new life that is truly a gift from God. Such a priceless fleeting moment of pure tiny sweetness! Who’s heart doesn’t melt when seeing how the beauty of photography can capture the tiny features of little fingers and toes and a button nose?

"... a time to laugh... a time to embrace… 
He has made everything beautiful in its time." 
Eccles. 3: 4,5,11
Families change and grow so rapidly that documenting special moments with every shutter click  tells a family’s  story of life's journey and from the roots that we come from.

"… a time to die." 
Eccles. 3:2
(A few short months after this photo was taken the youngest, Sandra, was called home to heaven)
As a photographer when taking pictures of different life events you never know if it will be the last photo taken with all family members in the portrait. Through 16 years of photography it has happened a few times where that was the last  family photo taken and where one family member is now deceased. How much more precious that last family photo memory becomes. Time is precious. Life is Short. We are fragile. MAKE EVERY MOMENT, EVERY MEMORY COUNT!

Ways Pictures touch our Lives:

 - Slideshows: sharing photos at different events such as Wedding Receptions, Graduation Ceremonies, Anniversary Celebrations, Birthday Parties, and Funerals.

 - Family Calendars are a great way to build family memories. We have been doing this for 10 years with my husband's family. Its one way to remember we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one. 

 - Photo cards: Who doesn’t love receiving a family photo card at Christmas time or any other time of the year? When walking into people's homes and seeing their photo collage board, doesn't that just fill you with joy?

 - Framed wall portraits: One good example of this is a Grandma’s house. I love walking into a Grandma's house where you see pictures hanging all over the wall of family photos, baby/children photos, graduation pictures, and family pictures from the previous generation.

 - Photo Albums: Family and friends love to look through and reminisce on memories made, and see what once was and how we change.
--
Helena Harder

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