Life is such a blessing! 2009-12-04

Isn’t life a blessing? I can’t imagine it not being so. Even during strife and stress, financial struggle, ill health, family calamity, and all other sufferings when some might say no, I still believe it to be so. God blesses us in so many ways that we may take for granted, or refuse to accept, or refuse to believe when we face some of those challenges. But His gift of life to us is intended for abundance. Even when those rough times come. Look at the lives of Joseph, Job, Esther, and many others in scripture. Look at the life of Jesus Himself. He is fully God and was fully human, and He suffered some terrible trials and a brutal death. Yet would He consider His life without blessing? Surely not.

I am so very grateful for who God is and has been and for what He has done and is doing in our lives. We are so richly blessed with a loving family, both in our house and across the nation. We are blessed with busy lives that always have room for a laugh, a hug, a cry, a prayer, and so much more in fellowship with our loved ones.

Last night, I was witness to such a fun and loving time. In a jewelry store. I know some might think… come on. But it is true. I know the owner of the store. He and his family are delightful people. But it goes beyond that. He is giving and humble and caring and warm and funny and… blessed. Despite some real troubles. The folks that gathered there last night were friendly, comfortable, sweet, caring folks. It was like a nice family gathering where you were meeting some of your own (and perhaps distant) cousins for the very first time.

It was like a “Cheers” episode… I could hear the tune “Where everybody knows your name” playing in my head (though the harp playing Christmas carols was far more lovely) and this without the drunkenness of a bar.

Life is such a blessing! Live it out loud, Love with all your heart, Laugh until you cry. You’ll see it, too.

Portrait Clothing Ideas 2009-05-24

So… people sometimes have a difficult time knowing what to wear when having their portraits taken. Individual and family portrait clothing suggestions differ somewhat, but there are many similarities, too.

For starters, focus on your skin. Facial shine will be picked up by the camera, so a little powder or a towel is advisable to minimize that shine. Tyically a little makeup and a light power works well for women. For men, a little baby powder or a quick towel dry should be fine.

Next, dress from collar to sole. Too much skin showing takes attention away from the face. The point of the photo is to capture the faces of people in the focal zone. Not arms. Not legs. Keep your tops modest and make sure your socks match your pants.

For colors, it is ideal if all parties in the photo wear solid and simple and consistent tones. Too many tones or even one odd pattern can be very distracting in the photo. Choose clothing in the same tonal range so that no single member of a family or group stands out. Darker tones are slimming and work well with darker backgrounds or settings. Middle and lighter tones work well for outdoor photography. Stay clear of super bright colors as they can wash out the image.

If you wear glasses, it is best if you can remove them for the portrait to reduce glare.

There is a bit of an exception to all of this… With senior portraits, the kids tend to want to express their unique look and personality through their photos. This is a special moment and we like to let their creativity flow. So… some of the “rules” above fly out the window.

What are your thoughts?

To Watermark or… not to Watermark 2009-04-16

I’ll admit… I’m torn. There are times when I just want to give away my work to someone. There are other times where I know that’s a kind and welcome gesture. There are other times where I know it is not a sensible thing to do for my business.

Even for friends and (not immediate) family, there are times where I want to hand out the images and there are times where I know I shouldn’t. In business, there seem to be the occasional opportunity to trade a photo for a product or service that someone else has to offer. But… I would like to develop an actual policy that has actual consistency to it. I do that in my “other” job, so why not this one? There are many legal cases regarding digital rights management. I know digital photos fall within that classification, so that should make this easy, right? Yeah… right.

For the standard visitor to our shopping cart, this is a no-brainer. Everything is watermarked. But what about an image taken of a friend at a picnic? Or images taken at church during worship? Is it necessary — or even appropriate — to watermark these images if posted on the church web site? I don’t presently do that, but I’ve had some folks tell me that I should. I’m torn. I want to do what is right for both the viewer and our brand.

We took some fun shots of a youth concert at our church several weeks ago. We published them to the church website without any watermark. ANY casual visitor can go see these images without any branding on them whatsoever. We love taking them and we don’t charge the church anything (we’re there anyway!) and people love looking at them. But… there is no association to us when a visitor views the images on the site. Hmm…

So, what say you? Do you think these should be watermarked? Or do you think these should not be watermarked? And why? Give me some honest input here.

I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Christian Concerts… 2009-04-05

I don’t know about the rest of you, but there is something remarkably powerful and truly special about a packed concert where the entire audience is like one big Praise and Worship choir.

Last weekend (Sunday, March 29), I had the distinct pleasure, honor, and blessing to be able to photograph the Chris Tomlin and Israel Houghton “Hello Love” concert at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. It was fantastic! The music is genuinely top drawer. Better than that, though, is that the Holy Spirit can be felt in the midst of 5,000+ fans singing along with these artists. Hands in the air… voices ringing out to give Glory and Honor and Praise to the Living God. It sometimes makes it hard to keep snapping the photos. Seriously. I have a hard time pressing the shutter release when my hands are in the air, too. 

Here is a link to our photos from that concert:

http://www.ccgcreativestudios.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=1658

For those that have not had the opportunity to hear some of these artists, you are missing out on one of the most popular and fastest growing music genres in the music industry. If you’re really into acid rock, heavy metal, punk, etc., then there are a few Christian artists covering your tastes, too. But the most popular segment is the popular rock sound, also referred to as “Contemporary Christian” or “Christian Pop”. We absolutely LOVE this music!!

We listen about as close to 24×7 as you can… we wake up to this music playing on our alarm clock, we play it in both of our family vehicles [each of our kids has their own cars, too, but they're obviously free to choose their own style of music, unless we're driving], we sing it in our church,  and I look for every opportunity I can get to volunteer to take pictures at these events.

To combine these passions — photography and Christian music — is an incredible blessing for me. I really love it!!

Feel free to browse the rest of these events at your leisure:

http://www.ccgcreativestudios.com/photocart/index.php?category=109

Let us know what you think. We know this music isn’t for everyone, but we’re sad that it isn’t. Everyone has the freedom to choose the music that appeals to them and that really is the way it should be. But maybe some just haven’t heard it yet… Check out your local radio markets for Christian music and see what you think. You never know… it could save you.

Faith 2009-03-09

I believe whole heartedly in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my personal Savior. Hallelujah!

I am not ashamed of that in any way, shape, or form. I know that people have the freedom to believe what they choose and that some people have never been able to cross this divide between sin and salvation. Some believe very strongly that God does not exist. Can not exist. I am very grateful that this is not my own personal situation. Some people believe that the “laws” of science prove that God does not exist or at least do not prove that He does exist. How sad. To put one’s faith in laws that are natural without any respect for how the laws came into their own being is amazingly sad.

In fact, speaking in scientific terms, the mathematical likelihood that there was zero intelligent influence over the designs of the universe and our very being is so ridiculously low that it requires amazing FAITH to believe that God does not exist.

Anyway… I do not mean to nor do I wish to engage in a great debate over theism and atheism. I simply wish to express my profound joy in knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ died for me and rose from the dead to ascend to His rightful place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Knowing Him more personally each and every day keeps me wrapped up in the peace which passes all understanding. I can say that without His never ending love, life would be different. Because of His love, I love my wife more and more each day. Because of His love, I love my kids more and more each day. Because of His love, I love Him more and more each day.

It puts great joy in our hearts to know that when we meet people in our daily walk, whether it is in the course of doing business in our photography studio, or at a wedding, or at a concert, or at the grocery store, or in a coffee shop, or wherever it might be, that we can pass on even a small glimpse of that love…

God’s great glory shines brightly through His creations!

May we always remember that we should seek Him first and His righteousness. By going boldly to the throne and asking for His grace and mercy, we can receive it. In receiving it, we will have it when we require it… to resist temptation, to endure trials, to suffer persecution for His name’s sake, and so much more.

At the end of our church services, we sing a simple blessing that is from Numbers 6:24-26:

May the Lord bless you,
May the Lord keep you,
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance and give you Peace.

Indeed. May He give you Peace.