The Incredible Wedge by Brad Herndon The Thinker is a bronze and marble sculpture created by Frenchman Auguste Rodin in the early 1900s. It shows a man in sober meditation battling a powerful internal struggle. It is often used to represent philosophy. Today, The Thinker is the most recognized work in all of sculpture. Rodin’s two most popular works, The Kiss and The Thinker, are widely used outside the fine arts as symbols of human emotion and character. That last sentence about emotion and character should remind you of our last Creative Photography lesson about the importance of emotion in your pictures. And yes, emotion carries over into paintings, carvings, and sculptures. Today, though, I’m not talking primarily about emotion, but instead about a figure called the wedge that creates emotion in a picture. The wedge, incidentally, also could be called a “V”. Regardless, this composition is tremendously powerful and extremely eye-appealing, and I’ll go back to The Thinker sculpture to illustrate the point. The Thinker sculpture is familiar to many people in most countries in the world primarily because of the artist’s great skills in showing detail in his works of art, plus his ability to show emotion and character. That being said, if one looks closely at The Thinker and evaluates it you will notice how many wedges are in this sculpture. The arms and legs are in the form of a wedge and without this composition I personally doubt if the work would have become world famous. Mountains are appealing because of the wedge Examples Of The Wedge Working When people tell me how they enjoy seeing a flock of Canada geese fly over, I usually point out to them that the reason they enjoy the geese flying over so much is because of the wedge, or V, formation in which they fly. The same goes for a flight of sandhill cranes. If either of these groups of birds flew in a straight line they would be rather boring to watch. Likewise, most people thoroughly enjoy looking at mountain scenes. The reason? It’s because those mountain peaks are in the form of a wedge. Another eye-appealing picture folks like to look at is a train coming forward in a picture, with the boxcars behind the engine trailing off toward the horizon. If you examine these pictures carefully, you will see the train forms a wedge as the train’s boxcars diminish in size into the distance. The wedge formed by trees makes this a contest winner Also, an old dead tree silhouetted against a beautiful sunrise or sunset usually evokes a favorable response from people viewing the picture. The beautiful colors have a positive effect, no doubt, but those wedges formed by the tree trunk and the branches also play a big part in the picture’s appeal. This butterfly’s wings form an attractive wedge. The ways the powerful wedge can be worked into your photography is almost unlimited if you are alert to the possibilities. It can be a butterfly or a bird’s wings forming a wedge, two trees crossing in a picture, a shaft of beautiful light coming out of black clouds at sunrise or sunset, or perhaps the many wedges you can find in farm fields. Kevin Kramer’s portrait is a great example of wedge use. Using Wedges In People Photography Wedges can be put to excellent use in people photography, both with groups and individuals. For example, when you are posing a small number of people for a picture, line them up with the tallest people in the middle and then the next tallest person next to them, and so on. Of course this forms a wedge that is pleasing to the eye. Likewise, instead of having a child stand straight up by a tree to take their picture, have them lean against the tree and bend one knee. Again an interesting wedge is formed, this time by their knee. Bent elbows also form an eye-appealing wedge. Pose a child standing straight up and down and see how interesting it is. Not very. Have them place one hand on their hip and see how the picture gets more interesting with the wedge formed by the arm. In a similar manner, pose a mom standing straight up and down glaring at her daughter. Although “the look” carries some emotion, for sure, try having the mom look the same only with both of her hands on her hips. Now you have a powerful picture because of the two wedges formed by the arms, a shot that says, “Kiddo, you have had it!” Look at the wedge formed by the legs! Even Subtle Wedges Work As many of you know, Miss Carol and I make our living doing wildlife photography and in-the-field hunting setups for outdoor related companies. When we are photographing, we are constantly on the lookout for how we can incorporate wedges into our pictures. For example, if a big turkey is standing with head erect and alert, it’s a good picture. However, if its legs are straight and together, that part of the picture is uninteresting. It may even look like it’s standing on only one leg. In these cases, I capture the first shot, then hope the gobbler takes another little step and separates his legs, thus forming a wedge. When this happens the picture immediately becomes more exciting and it gives us an added edge in making a sale. Folks love this simple wedge formed by trees Dogs are neat animals, and you see many pictures of bird hunting dogs in the field. Some of the most interesting shots are of these dogs on point where they have one front leg raised. The leg, as you have guessed by now, forms a wedge. I could go on and on about wedges because I like them so much. One fellow photographer even said I was “wedge crazy” one time. I think if you study everything you photograph, from people, to birds, animals, and landscapes, you will soon find many instances where you can incorporate a wedge into the picture and make it a stronger image. Now, before signing off, I want to tell you about the most important wedge of all. The Most Important Wedge In The World Overall, the general public finds pictures of people praying extremely interesting. Sometimes these pictures show only the hands in prayer. At other times, the hands and arms of the person are shown. And in many images the entire person is shown in prayer. These images carry great impact from a compositional standpoint. Here’s why. Moreover, you will find that two hands together in prayer form a wedge. If only the hands and arms are shown, the arms usually form a wedge when seen either from the front, or from the side. The same goes for the full body shots. More importantly, though, the images profoundly touch people because of the spiritual aspect of the pictures. It shows a person having a direct, and immediate, conversation with the Creator of the universe. Nothing is more important than this. I don’t know your situation today. Some of you reading this may be perfectly healthy and happy. Others, meanwhile, may be suffering from a physical ailment, or perhaps anxiousness, depression, or some other malady. Regardless of your situation, always remember that God hears your every word, from praises, to requests for divine help. And he promises to never leave you. So clasp your hands in prayer whenever you can, wherever you are, and enjoy a wonderful conversation with a loving God. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Philippians 4:6 Copyright 2011 Brad Herndon
0 Comments
Let’s Get Emotional! By Brad Herndon I never was much for school since I always wanted to be outside doing something. That is not to say I didn’t have fun in school at times. I did. In fact, several times a couple of us would pull some prank and get so tickled in class we couldn’t stop laughing. We usually got chewed out for disrupting the class because of our emotional outbursts. On the other side of the coin, when I was little I didn’t have much patience. I can remember playing with a little battery powered tank one time when I was about six years old. I suppose the battery was low, for the little tank wouldn’t climb over a small pillow. I first became frustrated, then angry. I hunted up the hammer and promptly beat the innocent tank into small pieces. Obviously I showed some undesirable emotions while doing this, but it did get my mom’s attention--unfortunately. Griffin after a long day at the beach! Good Pictures Show Some Type Of Emotion Like the strong emotions of laughter and anger I just mentioned that get someone’s attention, all really good pictures will convey some type of emotion. A picture can capture various kinds of emotion. Among them are laughter, happiness, joy, peace, hate, love, anger, stress, relaxation, fear, excitement, sorrow, amazement, and many more. This is why it’s so important for you to evaluate each picture you plan to take and determine what type of emotion you have the opportunity to capture. In the first shot with this article, Pastor Paul took a picture of his young son Griffin sound asleep with a great snack in his lap. Obviously he was sleepier than he was hungry. This picture, while tremendously cute, probably appeals to us more because of his peacefulness. Wouldn’t we all like to sleep that soundly? In the next picture a young lad named Landon shows what his emotions are like when he is at home with his mom Bridget and his dad Adam. The second picture shows his happy disposition when he stays with Grandma and Grandpa. Bridget Disque took both pictures of Landon and both are great pictures because of the emotion she was able to share with those viewing the pictures. Windows, Wonderment And More In the black and white picture of my son-in-law’s nephew Tai I used the light from a window and was fortunate enough to have Tai look up, which produced a feeling of wonderment. This shot is actually an excellent portrait and sometime in the future I’ll devote an entire lesson to doing portraits using the light coming in through a window. The picture of the two men overlooking the valley gives one a feeling of peacefulness and relaxation. It makes you wish you were right there with them, enjoying the day as they are. The waterfall picture, while showing no people in the picture, also gives the same emotional feeling of peacefulness and relaxation. Interestingly, the feeling in this picture was purposely planned by me and was achieved by using a certain shutter speed on my camera. This will also be the subject of an article in the future. Fun and excitement! Emotional Extremes Capturing action in a scene produces the emotion of excitement. Two weeks ago Miss Carol and I attended our Granddaughter Hannah’s 10th birthday party. While there I got an action shot of Hannah (right) and her sister Jessica having fun sliding into a pool of water. They were excited and having fun and it shows. People love to see action Later on that day I positioned myself behind home plate (yes, there was a fence in front of me) and was able to get some great shots of Hannah fast pitching the softball during one of her games. Great action photographs, whether they are sports related or wildlife related, are real eye catchers because they contain so much emotional excitement. The picture of the grizzly bear, meanwhile, is associated with an emotion we don’t like at all—fear! Believe me, as I was standing there 20 yards away taking pictures of this bear the idea I might be this grizzly’s next meal produced a little fear in me. The last picture in this article shows a military graveyard in southern Illinois. On the tombstones are various words, among them beloved father, beloved husband, and loving grandfather. When I show this picture in one of our Creative Photography Seminars everyone, regardless of age, is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The emotional impact it carries is tremendous--a feeling of extreme sadness for the lives that were lost in war. An Emotion Without A Picture
In this short piece I’ve only been able to show a few pictures and talk about the type of emotion each one captures. However, it’s enough, I believe, to convey the idea to you of how important emotion is in each picture that you take. There is one emotion, though, that I didn’t show a picture of for illustrative purposes. The emotion is love. I could have shown a photograph of a young couple kissing on their wedding day. Certainly this would have shown love. Or perhaps a shot of a mom and her young daughter walking down a lane. Or how about a couple who have been married for 50 or more years sitting in a porch swing holding hands. Long lasting love is precious. The reason I didn’t show any pictures of love is because the greatest love ever shown never had a picture taken of it. It was the day Jesus Christ, the only son of our heavenly Father, laid down his life on the cross for our sins. Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection, while a word picture, conveys to us a love almost beyond our comprehension. Keep this wonderful emotion of heavenly love in your heart as you go about living your life, and taking your pictures. Be an example to others and share with them the love that has so graciously been given to you. By doing so, you will not only have eye catching emotion in your pictures for people to see, but you will also have the emotion of love in your life that will draw others to Jesus. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life". John 3:16 Brad Herndon Author The Power Of Repetition By Brad Herndon Pete and Repeat were sitting on a wall. Pete Fell off. Who was left? The answer to this question is, of course, Repeat. Pete and Repeat were sitting on a wall. Pete fell off. Who was left? Almost all of us know this little ditty. Kids love it, but it doesn’t take adults long to tire of this simple game because it is so repetitive. As parents, many of us have had children who became obsessed with the “Why?” statement and they can literally drive a mother or father crazy with this saying. I once had a cousin who was hooked on Why? and after spending a few hours with him my brother Billy said, “Douglas, if you say that one more time I’m going to beat you to a pulp!” Douglas’ response was, of course, “Why, Billy?” And, unfortunately, many of us have had, or still have, repetitive manufacturing jobs where we have to do the same thing time, after time, after time. As the old statement goes, “This is boring me to death.” Each item I have mentioned above that deals with repetition has a negative aspect. Fortunately, repetition in photography is the exact opposite. Brad won 3rd place in a national contest with this photo The Power Of Repetition Look at the picture of the skunks accompanying this article. This picture was taken many years ago right at dusk when Carol and I were riding through the countryside. I grabbed my camera, put the flash on it and jumped out of our truck. When I did the mother skunk ran into the woods and the tamer baby skunks remained behind. Shortly they lined up for me and I fired off a couple of pictures. Despite this picture containing harsh flash light and the setting carrying no great emotional impact, I still won third place in a national photography contest with this image. The reason I won third place with this image is because it has repetition in the picture. One skunk is cute. Two or three are even cuter, and four will win you an award. Repeating the same thing in photography is desirable, and people enjoy looking at this type of picture. Repetition Can Be Anywhere Look at the rest of the pictures I have with this article. The corn shocks picture was taken while we were driving through Amish country in Indiana. The braided horse hair image was taken at the local county fair. The chairs and hanging flowers shot was taken at a little motel in Maine while we were vacationing there. The Lizard’s Tail flowers were captured near our home. The silhouette of the hay rake was taken in a junky pile of farm equipment. The farm field picture was captured while driving through Iowa, and the log structures in a state park not far from our home. In one of the log structure images there are two log structures in the picture, while there are three in the other picture. Every person I have ever shown these two pictures to likes the image containing three log structures best. Why? (oops, sorry) The reason is more repetition that carries lots of emotional impact. The possibilities of catching repetitive images on regular or digital film are unlimited. It can be a long string of birds on a wire, four computer monitors lined up on a shelf at a school class room, triplet fawns, windows, many bicycles in a rack, and so forth. Always be on the lookout for repetition while photographing. You will find folks who view these images will love them. The Most Important Repetition In The World
Below I have listed two scriptures from the Bible for you to read. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Dueteronomy 6:6-7 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 Both these scriptures talk about repeating something of immeasurable value to your children—the instructions found in God’s word. If you repeat the advice found in the Bible to your children, they will grow up knowing they are loved, not only by you, but by God himself! And by learning about and believing God’s wonderful words, your children, and your children’s children, will be instrumental in making this world a better place in which to live. And even when they reach tough times in life and sometimes fail, as we all do, they will know there is forgiveness to be obtained through Jesus Christ, the son of God the Father. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6 In closing, we all know life, at times, can be boring because of repetition. As a photographer, however, you will now see how repetition can be tremendously exciting in your images. But this will not remotely compare to repeating the word of God, because the benefits of hearing this message of truth leads to people accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And these benefits are absolutely out of this world! Copyright 2011 Brad Herndon White As Snow By Brad Herndon Here in southern Indiana winter can, at times, get very bleak looking. The trees are barren of leaves, the flowers are gone, many of the birds have migrated south and many of the small mammals are holed up in semi-hibernation. And then it all changes. A storm front comes roaring through that may dump from 1 to 10 inches of beautiful white snow on the ground and the bleak looking landscape takes on a winter wonderland look all its own. Kids get out the sleds and have a great time careening down hills. Snowmen are built. Skiers head to the few ski slopes southern Indiana has embedded in its rolling hills. Even delicious homemade snow ice cream may be enjoyed, just as it was decades ago before we had refrigerators and freezers. Your snow pictures may look dingy like this Another group of folks also spring into action at this time. The photographers, both amateur and professional. They are especially inspired if the snow not only covers the ground, but also dresses every tree, bush and weed with a fringe of pure white. Literally tens of thousands of pictures are taken at this time, but unfortunately many of the photographers are disappointed when they look at the results. Instead of brilliant white landscapes, their pictures have a dull, almost gray look to them. Instead of their children sledding down a blazing white slope, the hill has a dingy look to it. Maybe this has happened to you. In the next few paragraphs I’ll explain how to keep your winter wonderland images as white as snow. This is a color picture of a snow scene How To Keep Snow White When God created the earth, he made it so that most things in nature reflect 18% of the light that hits them. Because of this, when the camera was invented it eventually advanced to the point where it had an in camera meter. The designers set these meters up to assume everything the camera was taking a picture of reflected 18% light because most of nature reflects this amount of light. This meant that most of the pictures we photographers take are properly exposed, being not too dark, not too light. However, not all things in nature reflect 18% light. Snow, for example, reflects 80 to 90% of the light that hits it. A huge piece of coal, on the other hand, reflects virtually no light. In other words, white and dark fool a camera’s meter. For an interesting example, if you were at a wedding and you used your camera on Automatic setting to take a full frame picture of a white dress, a medium gray dress and a black dress, the pictures would all look the same. They would all be a medium gray tone (18% gray). Take a white, black and medium gray piece of paper and photograph them full frame and they, too, will all look the same, being medium gray. This picture has been converted to black and white What I have just explained is the reason why snow pictures often look somewhat gray. The camera thinks snow is a medium toned, 18% subject, when it is actually an extremely light, white subject. To correct this problem you must overexposure what the camera meter is saying in order to let in more light. Almost all cameras, even the less expensive point and shoot cameras, have what is called an exposure compensation setting on them. This may also be called exposure value (EV) or go by another name. Regardless of the name, it allows you, the photographer, to set your camera so it lets in more or less light. More light lightens your pictures, while letting less light in darkens your pictures. snow makes everything beautiful In the case of dingy looking snow, start out changing your exposure setting from 0 to +1. This will let in more light (twice as much light as 0, in fact) and make the snow look whiter. It this isn’t white enough, let in just a little more light on the setting, but go slowly so you don’t get it too light and burn out detail in the images. This simple setting will make sure your snow is white, but as a warning, don’t forget to reset your exposure compensation dial back to 0 when you get done with your snow photography. If you forget to change it back and go back to normal, medium toned photography, your pictures will be over exposed (too light). snow even makes weeds look eye catching Keeping Your Life White A little white lie won’t hurt anyone. Although we’ve all heard that saying, I never heard my grandmother Nanny say it. In fact, she always talked to me about all lies being black. And if they were really bad, she called them dirty black lies. When I was a child her description of lies made an impression on me, that’s for sure, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t commit any of the worst kind, the dirty black ones. Black, it seems, is generally tied in to something negative, while white is usually tied into something positive, something good, and something pure. The Bible has several scriptures talking about snow, and the whiteness of it. Another picture converted to black and white First of all, Job 37:6 tells us that God gave us snow. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ Each time I’m out photographing snow I think of the incredible power of God, and am reminded once again that he created the entire universe, and the incredible snow I’m looking at. And knowing that each snowflake is a different design just adds to the awe I have for God’s majesty. The whiteness of the snow also encourages me to keep my life as clean and pure as I can. I have made, and continue to make, too many mistakes in my life, no matter how hard I try not to. I’m always reminded, though, how God takes care of my sins when I read Isaiah 1:18. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” As a photographer I add exposure to my snow pictures so they will be pure white. And when my life dips into a dingy stage, I add exposure to the Son, Jesus Christ, to make my life whiter once more. Until the next Creative Photography lesson, may God richly bless each one of you and may your lives be as bright as the Son. Copyright 2011 Brad Herndon Tired, but Inspired to photograph Attitude, Attitude, Attitude by Brad Herndon Our business office is in our garage and one night after working hard until 10:30 p.m. I walked the short distance to our house. As I started to open the back door I happened to notice a gray tree frog on the glass. As tired as I was, I turned around, opened the office door, and got my tripod and photography equipment out. I had to put on my 105mm macro (close-up) lens, but I was able to capture the shot before the gray tree frog moved to a different location. I could just have easily looked at the frog and continued on into the house for a good night’s rest. Capturing good photographic images, like so many things in life, depends quite a bit on a person’s attitude. We all know people who have absolutely nothing wrong with them and are financially blessed, yet when talking to them it seems all they do is complain. Other folks we meet, meanwhile, may have some severe handicaps, yet they are upbeat and optimistic and a joy to be around. To be a successful photographer, an upbeat, optimistic, positive attitude is certainly one of the first requirements. As Carol and I do our Creative Seminars in churches, I have the opportunity to listen in on many conversations. I hear people tell about it being too hot to take pictures, and it being too cold to take pictures. Others may say it’s too dry, too wet, too sunny, or too cloudy. Still others remark they don’t live in a pretty area, and they don’t have a good camera. Oftentimes I hear they don’t have the right lens, and many of them relate how they don’t have time to take pictures like other people do. The truth is, none of these excuses are valid reasons for not getting excellent pictures. Their main problem is their attitude, and this prevents them from getting outside and capturing outstanding images that are waiting for them. Don’t let this happen to you. Obviously a lady with an upbeat attitude Stay Upbeat I love the epitaph on the accompanying tombstone picture. It says: EDITH BERNICE COURTNEY Feb. 10, 1925-Dec. 30, 1981 "I Told You I Was Sick" Now there was a lady who had a great attitude in life. She is still making people laugh even though she left this earth almost 30 years ago. I try to live in a similar manner. Have a good attitude and keep smiling! For example, on the frog picture I put the words "Attitude Is Everything! When life gets tough, hang on"! On the picture of our granddaughter Hannah batting, I noticed the big smile on the ball (this picture has not been doctored) and put the words "Attitude Is Everything! Smile! Even when you’re about to get hit." Folks love to see these pictures in our seminars, for it gives them a good chuckle, and more importantly I hope it inspires them to have a good attitude each and every day of their life. Odd advertising, but still in business! By the way, I want to acknowledge that many people have encouraged and inspired me along life’s way. The owners of a little country restaurant in western Illinois are a good example. This restaurant has home cooked food, Amish baked goods, fishing supplies, ham, and jams, among other things. The top line of their sign, though, says "EAT HERE GET WORMS". In the midst of this extreme recession many country restaurants are closing down, but not this one. I’m convinced the owners’ great attitudes are one reason they are still going strong. The Good Book Inspirations In Philippians 4:4 in the Bible it says, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice". I love this scripture, and even when I’m not feeling so good in the morning, this is what I feel God is saying to me: “Rejoice in the Lord always, Brad. It really is a good day. And in case you didn’t catch it the first time, I’m going to tell you once more…. again I say rejoice! Thanks for paying attention.” Equally inspiring for me is the scripture found in Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. I enjoy telling people that all days are good; some are just better than others. Entry way sign over old dirt road Putting Inspiration Into Practice When Carol and I made our vacation plans for the fall of 2010 we planned to go to the Four Corners area out west. When we started out in October, however, I soon became ill. One day I felt decent, then the next day I felt like death warmed over. Carol wasn’t doing any better since she was recovering from a potassium deficiency that caused her to feel dizzy. Regardless, we kept on photographing, eating in Redneck restaurants, and talking to the endless number of fascinating characters who live within the Midwest. We didn’t end up making it any farther than Kansas, but we both agreed we had a fantastic time, despite the adversities we had encountered. I have attached only three of the hundreds of interesting pictures we took on this trip, and there is no way you can tell by looking at the pictures whether we felt good, or bad, when we tripped the shutter on each image. I remember feeling decent when I took the picture of the cowboys and cattle sign in Kansas, but that wasn’t the case on the other two pictures. Exterior was damage, Interior yielded cool shots! I felt sick and dizzy when I took the covered bridge image, and the circumstances weren’t what we expected them to be as well. This covered bridge spans a beautiful stream in Missouri. The fall colors were gorgeous, and we were really looking forward to taking pictures of this beautiful setting. What we didn’t know is that a flash flood had hit the area during the summer and the state had to bring in several workers to take all of the siding from the bridge so it wouldn’t be swept away by the force of the water. Although workers had replaced the rough exterior siding, the pretty white exterior siding was only partially replaced. In other words, the bridge looked ugly. Not ones to give up, we concentrated on photographing the inside of the covered bridge and got some cool shots. The painting on the building tells an interesting story The other picture shows a painting on the side of a building in Chillicothe, Missouri. Amazingly, each brick you see in this picture is painted on the building. This picture is one of many eye-catching scenes painted on buildings in this quant award winning Midwest city of 9,000 people. It’s well worth seeing. On this particular morning I was feeling pretty bad, but rather than stay in the motel room and rest, we were up well before daybreak in order to photograph these extraordinary paintings in the soft light of a new day. Carol and I were both glad we made the effort. Although it’s not always easy, I encourage you to make the extra effort to pick up your camera and go out into God’s wonderful Creation and capture some interesting images. Like us, you’ll be glad you did. Copyright 2011 Brad Herndon Picture is strong because Jessica is looking into the picture Looking Into The Picture By Brad Herndon If you have children in sports, such as track, always have them looking into the picture when you photograph them. “Looking into” means they will be looking ahead, with lots of space in front of them, but little space behind them. This makes the picture interesting, for the person looking at the image always wonders what is ahead. Leave a lot of space behind the runner, however, and the human eye will leave the primary subject in the picture—your son or daughter—and go back behind them and find nothing of interest. Therefore, the picture doesn’t carry much emotional impact. Hannah is excited about the present. The same holds true for sports such as basketball, softball, or any other sport for that matter. For the most eye catching picture, you should always have the subject looking into the picture. Even when photographing the family at Christmas, have them looking into the picture for the most visual impact. I have included a few images to show how such pictures should be composed. Pastor Paul uses the same rule while capturing video The Same Rule Applies For Nature Many of you reading Without Excuse Ministries are interested in photographing nature. Again, if you are photographing a deer, make sure it is looking into the picture. An image of a giant buck which has the buck’s head cramped up against the side of the picture (looking out of the picture), and a huge blank space behind it, just doesn’t look good. Mule deer looking into the picture Look at the picture of this mule deer which has been used here at Without Excuse Ministries and you will see this rule being used again. This simple but powerful tool helps make this picture interesting to the viewer. Brad and Miss Carol looking into the picture Here is an image of Carol and I enjoying a beautiful view out west. We are looking into the picture, and this composition makes you, the viewer, look into the picture where the scenery is gorgeous. Check out the pictures of a gray tree frog, an eagle, and a bow hunter and you will find each one of them is looking into the picture, just as they should be. By the way, with the subject looking into the picture, this composition works out perfectly for magazine and book sales. Carol and I make our living as outdoor photographers, and the bow hunter picture has been used as a two page spread in magazines. So there you have it, a simple, easy to do composition that will improve your pictures dramatically, whether you’re using a film camera, a point and shoot digital camera, or a top of the line SLR digital camera. Now I want to go on to another even more interesting subject….. Looking Into The Future I love to tell people I grew up in Starve Hollow, a pleasant valley out in the hills of southern Indiana. I also like to share that I was a “cruiser” as a teenager. A cruiser, as you old timers know, was a young man (or young gal) who drove to town on Friday and Saturday nights and cruised the main drag looking for cute chicks, or if a girl, a handsome young man. It’s also called scooping the loop. Cruising is certainly looked at in a negative manner today, but in my day it was rather harmless. In fact, sometimes it turned out rather well. For example, one time when I was cruising in Seymour, Indiana I met a cute little gal named Carol Casey. This meeting eventually led to marriage on August 3, 1963, and I’m happy to say we both have enjoyed our 47 years together. Life Isn’t Always Easy On August 15, 1964, approximately twelve months after our marriage, Carol gave birth to our first child, a son named Joseph Bradley. We both were very excited about Joseph Bradley’s birth, of course, but I was especially excited for his birth fell on the first day of squirrel season. Back in 1964 there were no wild turkey in Indiana, and only a handful of deer. Because of that we country folk grew up hunting squirrels, rabbit and quail. Squirrel hunting was my favorite sport, so I could envision the fun Joseph Bradley and I would have squirrel hunting when he was a few years older. Carol spent a few days in the hospital and when I picked her and the baby up I had a rattlesnake in the trunk that I had killed that day. To put things in perspective, killing a rattlesnake back then was like killing a Boone & Crockett buck today. I just knew our son was going to be a skilled hunter the way things were falling in place. Because Carol was very sick when she gave birth to Joseph Bradley, we went to my mom and dad’s home so mom could help Carol with the baby. On his eighth day of life here on earth Carol and mom noticed Joseph Bradley was sick, and getting sicker. Carol and I rushed him to the Seymour hospital, and then from there in an ambulance to Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. We waited in the hospital waiting room, hoping our baby was going to be all right. Finally a doctor came into the waiting room. He had the saddest look on his face, and after some hesitation, he finally spoke four words, “Your baby is dead.” Life After A Child’s Death We were crushed by the death of our son, Joseph Bradley. It’s especially hard on the mother since she has carried the baby in her womb for so long. Our recovery was long and hard. Carol was a Christian, and although I wasn’t a Christian at the time I knew there was certainly a God. That had been revealed to me when I was only six years old. I would go outside and when I would look at nature I knew there was someone out there, and I knew he loved me. That is why Romans 1:20 and this Web site mean so much to me. In my search for answers about our great loss, I started reading the Bible. I read about one vile character in the Old Testament named David. He was a king, but he sure pulled some boners. He even took another man’s wife, Bathsheba, and committed adultery with her. And if that wasn’t enough David set things up to make sure her husband Uriah got killed in battle. As it turned out Bathsheba was pregnant from the adulterous relationship and a baby was born. However, the Lord was displeased with David and the baby became sick. David prayed for the baby, wore sack cloth, and wouldn’t eat or take care of himself even with encouragement from his staff. Finally the baby died. The scripture below describes what happened after the baby died. 2 Samuel 12: 18-23 18 On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.” 19 David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” 20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. 21 His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!” 22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” I Will Go To Him David knew his baby could never return to him, but he knew with God’s mercy he could go to his baby! This scripture changed my life! I knew there was a God, and I knew the only way Carol and I could be united with our baby once again was to join him in heaven. The problem was, unlike Carol, I hadn’t yet figured out how to get there. I catch on to things slowly, so me figuring out how to get to heaven was kind of like molasses running uphill. But finally, after much soul searching and study of the Bible, I became convinced Jesus Christ was the way, the truth, and the life, and no one could get to the Father, and heaven, except through him. I am so thankful to the merciful Lord that he gave me enough time here on earth to figure this out. Both Carol and I so look forward to seeing Joseph Bradley again, and that great hope has helped keep our lives on track for decades. But there are others as well whom we want to see Joseph Bradley. Our daughter JoLinda, for example. She has never yet met her brother. And JoLinda’s husband Mr. Curt, and their two children, Jessica The Rascal Girl and Hannah The Rascal Gal. I know they will be thrilled to see him. In fact, I want my entire family, and many others, to meet him in heaven. Please Look Into The Future
The Bible says that in heaven there will be no more pain and suffering, and no more tears. I think all humans would want to go to such a place as this after they die. I also think all people would rejoice in spending an eternity with their loved ones in the presence of God. This is why I love to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. I want all people to go to heaven. If you’re already a Christian, joyfully share the Gospel with others. And if you’re not yet a Christian I would encourage you to consider the beauty and complexity of nature--the creation--and hopefully you will know, as I did as a child, that there is someone out there, and that he loves you. Then have it revealed to you how great God’s love is for you by reading the Bible. He actually sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross for your personal sins. Because of Jesus’ great sacrifice, you can spend eternity in heaven, and so can your loved ones. I look forward to seeing you there someday! Copyright 2011 A junk yard is a bad background for a picture. A Good Background Is Important by Brad Herndon Whether you are photographing your family, flowers, or an animal, be observant of the background. Your wife, husband, children, grandchildren, friends, or hunting buddies won’t look very good if they are posed in front of an old junk yard. Likewise, a pretty flower isn’t so pretty if a piece of trash is showing in the background. Always be sure to put eye appealing backgrounds in your pictures. If this means moving your people to another location, then by all means do so. Almost all beginning photographers have their pictures littered with bad backgrounds. Cars, telephone poles, highways, ugly fences, and general clutter are just a few of the subjects that can ruin an otherwise good picture. By being careful and using pleasing backgrounds, you will see a noticeable improvement in your pictures. A lake makes a nice background. Types Of Backgrounds To Use In the portrait you see of our friend Kevin Kramer, we used a lake for a pleasing background. Few people think of using a lake as a background, yet it makes an excellent one because the water is smooth and uncluttered. Most great wildlife shots have blurred backgrounds. The turkey picture shown also had a lake for a background and this picture has sold for us numerous times. Blurred backgrounds put the focus on the subject. For people portraits, be sure to study locations before taking your shots. Placing a person right in, or just in front of a brushy woods usually results in a cluttered looking picture where the background draws attention away from your subject. The pictures of our two granddaughters were taken in our backyard. I simply moved them some distance away from the woods behind our house and this blurred out the background and made a memorable photograph. Portraits look great with a smooth background. When we needed to send in a picture of Carol and me to go along with my biography for a magazine this year I used the same background and you can see the picture turned out very well. Good backgrounds can be found at ball games. The picture of our granddaughter Jessica enjoying a refreshing drink has a good background even though we were at a ball park. I simply studied the backgrounds available and picked out one that would work. As you can see, these blurred, or blown out, backgrounds really draw the viewer’s eye to the subject. These shots are sometimes called “glamour” shots because they carry so much impact. This is true whether you are photographing people, birds, animals, or some other subject. This background tells a story about hunting location. The Background Can Be Used To Tell A Story Sometimes, though, you may want the background to show to some degree in order to tell a story. For example, the picture showing a hunter in a tree stand sells well because the background reveals he is hunting a swampy region in a bottom area. Obviously a magazine running an article about how to hunt “swamp bucks” is happy to find an image such as this. Pleasing backgrounds can tell a story. Another shot, the one showing two men looking out on a beautiful valley setting, has also sold well because it shows people enjoying all the beauty of nature. In these last two examples, the background can be totally in focus, or just a little out of focus, and the pictures will still look great. What Lenses To Use
If the photographer is using a camera that uses interchangeable lenses, a 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, or 600mm lens is typically used for those blown out background deer, elk, turkey, bird, and other wildlife shots. These lenses are used because it is hard to get close to wild animals and these long focal lengths with high magnifying powers allow the photographer to capture quality images even from a distance. Most of these images are taken with the camera on a tripod. Usually these shots are taken with the lens opening set at 4 or 5.6, which lets in a lot of light and enables the photographer to have a higher shutter speed which ensures sharper images. These lens aperture settings are also called focal ratios, or aperture stops, and you often hear them referred to as F stops. I will discuss them in more detail in the future. For great people portraits, a lens setting in the 85mm to 135mm range works perfectly. Be sure to keep the person well away from your background when taking their portrait in order to blur out the background with an aperture setting of 4 or 5.6. This setup works well for two, three or four people, although you may have to go to a slightly wider angle lens setting such as 50mm to 70mm if doing group pictures. If you have a point and shoot camera, put it on Portrait Mode to do these pictures. With a big group you may have to try setting your camera on Landscape Mode and see how it turns out. With shots such as the hunter in a tree stand and the two men looking over the peaceful valley, try both the Portrait Mode and the Landscape Mode on your point and shoot camera, then pick out the best picture. If you have a camera using interchangeable lenses, a 40mm to 70mm lens setting works best, and an aperture opening of around 8 or 11. What I have described in today’s lesson is just the basics of using the proper background, lens settings, and aperture settings. As you gain knowledge, I will add elements to the teaching that will enable you to advance as a photographer to a greater degree. For now, I would rather go too slow than too fast. Your Background Is Important Too The Bible tells us this in Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;. When I was a teenager I drank excessively, smoked, cursed, was inconsiderate to my mom and others around me, and my life was a general mess. Although I didn’t read the Bible then, I knew what I was doing was wrong, and when I reached my 20s and did read the Bible, the verse quoted above confirmed what I already knew. It bothered me, too, just as many people today are suffering from a burden of guilt from past wrongs committed. The sins committed may be adultery, theft, the abortion of an unborn child, drug addiction, a gambling problem, pornography, greed, jealousy, pride, and the list goes on and on. We all have committed sins--many of them--and they form a junk yard background for each of our lives. There Is Hope For A Good Background Thankfully, God isn’t hindered by what the background is in our lives. No matter how bad, how black, how cluttered our background is, He can clean it up! When Jesus Christ suffered and died on a cross, he took each of our sins upon himself and freed us from the burden and guilt of our wrongdoings. When we acknowledge our sins to God, and ask for forgiveness in the name of Jesus, God erases, cleans up, blurs out, all of our past wrongdoings. I love the scripture found in John 10:10 where Jesus says, The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Since I became a believer in Jesus Christ and confessed my sins, I can truly say I have enjoyed my life more abundantly—beyond measure in fact. And I look forward to living in the heavenly realm with Jesus, God the Father, and my loved ones forever. If you are a Christian, don’t forget to give thanks each day to God for the great sacrifice he gave in order for each of us to have such a beautiful and pure background. And if you’re reading this and are not a Christian, please consider taking Jesus Christ into your life today. He will bless your life, remove your burden of guilt, and turn you into a different, and happier person. Behold, I make all things new. Revelation 21:5 Copyright 2010 Brad Herndon Note the diagonal line in this picture The Diagonal Line by Brad Herndon While seemingly insignificant, inserting a diagonal line in your pictures will really perk up the images. For instance, a child posing with their pole and first fish will be cute, but rather boring if the child is holding the pole straight up and down. Have the child cradle the fishing pole diagonally in the crook of their arm and that same picture will jump off of the page. Similarly, placing a diagonal line in a farm scene adds eye appeal to the image. The diagonal line could be a fence row, field edge, a lane, or some other part of the scene. Study every angle of every image you take. It does make a difference. Consider the American flag being raised at Iwo Jima during World War II. This is one of the most famous pictures in American history, and a diagonal line played a big part in it. The first flag raised that day was smaller and the soldiers were posing with the flag in a straight upright position. Later on in the day a larger flag was found and the shot was again taken, this time by a different photographer. In this case the sharp photographer had the flag placed in a diagonal position, in the process of being raised. This placement created a feeling of action and excitement and literally made the picture what it is today. This is a nice diagonal family pose A good way for a young family to work a strong diagonal line into their family pictures is to place dad on the end (he is usually tallest), then mom (she is usually the second tallest), and then the kids in descending height. This makes a neat looking diagonal line and makes the picture pleasing to the eye. Note the diagonal use in this shot Using Diagonal Lines With A Hunter If you, a family member, or a friend harvests a nice deer or turkey, be sure to put the action of a diagonal line into the picture. When posing with a deer or turkey, make sure the gun is at that all important diagonal angle. If you are photographing a friend hunting, make sure his gun or bow is at an angle. We use angles frequently in the hunter setups we do. A hunter drawing a bow and holding it level is rather boring. Conversely having him aim the bow and angling it downward gives the picture implied action. This gives the viewer the impression he is up high. Actually, he could be standing on level ground when the picture is taken. One of my first good butterfly picture Diagonal Lines In Wildlife Photography I was very happy when I captured my first good butterfly pictures, such as the one on this page. Still, they didn’t look quite as exciting as some other butterfly pictures I was seeing in magazines. Then another photographer tipped me off to putting the butterfly in the picture at an angle, which implied it was about ready to take off. This angle gives the shot action and excitement. You will see the difference it makes in the two butterfly pictures included with this article. This diagonal line makes this picture exciting Since I received the valuable tip many years ago I have tried to put exciting diagonal lines into my pictures of wildlife, whether it is insects, birds, deer, elk, or some other animal.
Several years ago there was a great wildlife photographer named Tom Edwards. I could almost always identify his pictures before reading the credit line because he was the master at catching deer heading uphill. Of course this put a nice diagonal line in the deer’s back and just made it come alive. Guess what made this picture interesting? Putting Action And Excitement In Our Lives Jesus Christ was an exciting guy while he was on this earth. He could walk on water, heal the blind, lepers, and deaf mutes, restore weathered hands, and much more. Jesus could do it by touching people, or he could do it by simply saying words at a distance. He also had control over nature, such as controlling storms, and he could multiply food. I might also mention he was resurrected from the dead after lying in a tomb for a few days. This shouldn’t be surprising, of course, since Jesus was God in the flesh, and therefore all powerful. Many years ago when I studied this all out and became convinced Jesus was who he said he was, life became more exciting, and joyful, because of His Holy Spirit within me. Whether you are a Christian, or are not a Christian, I want to state at this point that becoming a Christian doesn’t guarantee we won’t make a few more mistakes, or get a little lazy along the way. Matthew Henry, the great theologian whose writings still sell so well today despite the fact he died in 1714, states it very well in one of his books: We mistake, if we think to monopolize the comforts and benefits of the gospel to ourselves. What Matthew Henry was saying was that as a Christian we know we’re going to heaven, but if we aren’t careful we can get so lazy we hoard the gospel within our own life. Therefore we may end up never making much of an effort to tell others of the saving grace of Jesus. Jesus recognized the danger of us getting lazy in our faith, and gets our attention when we read in Revelation 3:16 what he says to the church at Laodicea. So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Lukewarm can mean lacking ardor, enthusiasm or conviction. It also can mean being moderate, mild, unemotional, halfhearted, hesitant, indecisive, uncertain, uncommitted, unresponsive, indifferent, apathetic, nonchalant and lackadaisical. I don’t want any of those words to describe my photographic efforts, and definitely not my spiritual life--or yours. Certainly by reading all of the great devotional material found on this Web site each of us will be encouraged, loved, and lifted up, and thereby we can avoid this lukewarm pitfall. Use the diagonal line with instects So until we meet again in our next photography lesson, work hard at putting action and excitement into your pictures by using diagonal lines. Also, work hard at recognizing the fact that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. By allowing his Holy Spirit to work within you, your life will become more active, joyful, and exciting. This will be a beautiful picture for others to behold. Copyright 2010 Brad Herndon Smile! Look for the positive each day The Power Of Circles by Brad Herndon One morning several years ago I got out of bed, washed up and sat down at the table for breakfast. My head was throbbing and in general I didn’t feel very well. Carol fixed me some toast, buttered it and placed the toast and a jar of her homemade blackberry jelly in front of me. I slowly removed the lid from the jelly jar and just happened to notice the inside of the lid. Immediately a smile came upon my face and I got up and obtained my camera. The picture I captured that morning you will find with this story, and I still use it as an example of seeing the positive in every day we are granted upon this earth. As you look at this image, you will notice I did not place the lid within the rule of thirds intersection points as I usually do. Instead, I positioned the lid so it was exactly in the center of the image, which is normally a definite no, no. The reason I put the lid in this location was because a circle is such a strong compositional form that it will literally pull the human eye to the center of the circle. The Circle Power at Work While circles don’t occur often, you should be on the lookout for them since they make for remarkable pictures. A dew covered spider web with the lines running to a center circle creates a breathtaking picture. Fishbowls, people formed in a circle, and wheels are a few other examples of circle composition you should be on the lookout for. Drop a rock into the water and as the ripples form around the drop point you will also notice the power of a circle. The same goes for the center of a round flower and a round spiral staircase seen from below or above. Likewise, unusually things like the seed pod head of a dandelion form a circle. Coca-Cola Uses Circle Power Coca-Cola used a round sign to draw attention to their product as shown here in this picture. This Water Hole Forms a Circle Even a little round hole of water becomes interesting when it is filled with cows. Obviously there are an amazing number of factors that come into play in photography, and the use of a circle in your pictures is one of them. A Semi-Circle Like This Also Works The Intriguing Semicircle A semicircle is one half of a circle, and while at first glance it doesn’t seem like it would be useful in composition, this certainly isn’t the case. Consider the picture of the big white oak tree silhouetted against an evening sky. The clouds above form a semicircle, and by placing the tree in the bottom center, which is near the center of the semicircle, a powerful image is formed. While it doesn’t seem plausible at first, the semicircle is such a big part of a circle it exhibits much of the same drawing power that the circle does The Rainbow Reminds Us of God's Love Consider a rainbow, for example. Everyone loves to see a beautiful rainbow. It’s a semicircle, or so most people think. Actually, all rainbows are circles; the ones we see standing on the earth just happen to stop at the ground. Go up in an airplane, however, and you can actually see rainbows in full circle, a rather impressive sight to behold. Oftentimes people are surprised to learn rainbows are circles. Moreover, they shouldn’t be if they are careful readers of the Bible. Read below what Revelation Chapter 4, verse 3 has to say about a rainbow. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Despite the fact it was written many years ago, well before the airplane, in the Bible God describes perfectly how a rainbow is round. And there is much more meaning to the rainbow besides its beauty. It’s actually a covenant God made with us that He will never again destroy those on earth with a great flood. In fact, the rainbow is a striking image He created to catch our eye, and to remind us time after time of the great love He has for us. May God grant you the days to see another breathtaking rainbow, and may you fully comprehend the depth of His great love as you enjoy its incredible colors. fall produces great mirror images Mirror Images by Brad Herndon Every morning I get up, go to the bathroom, look in the mirror, and say, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall who is the second fairest of them all?” I’m lying. Actually, I look in the mirror and say, “What happened?” Yes, while mirror images are interesting, sometimes they can be less than flattering, especially in instances where the viewer is of “geezer age”. Which brings me to this week’s subject in our creative photography series, mirror images. Last week I discussed the rule of thirds and how important it is in creating meaningful pictures. Well, there are times when this rule can be broken. I previously mentioned a circle as being one possibility, which I will discuss next week. For today, however, I want to discuss capturing mirror images, an image usually associated with a calm lake. In mirror image landscapes the bottom of the subject line goes in the middle of the picture, not in the rule of thirds, and as you will see, the results are awesome. Swabaucher Landing in Wyoming. The Grand Tetons Perhaps the most well known mirror images are of the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming. The Tetons are strikingly beautiful, but where the images are taken may surprise you. Just north of Jackson Hole a little noticed gravel road takes off the main highway and travels a short distance to a parking area, which is Swabaucher Landing. At this point a small stream has a beaver dam backing the water up for a distance. It doesn’t really look like much—until you are there at first light in the morning. Then this little pool literally jumps to life because the glory of the Grand Tetons is reflected into the waters of this small, seemingly insignificant reflecting pool. I have attached an image Carol and I captured there several years ago. We didn’t know about the little pool until another photographer gladly shared the location with us. When looking for mirror images, just about any pool of water can produce them, from potholes, to small ponds, to large lakes. The calmer the water is the better the quality of the reflected image. A little ripple on the water will still work though. Mirror images can be of the surrounding terrain, birds, people boating, fly fishermen, and there are many more opportunities if you watch closely for them. Capture all of them you can, for people truly enjoy seeing a double dose of beauty working together. A mirror image of two turkeys. Often Overlooked Mirror Images If you are photographing birds or animals of the exact same type, watch for a mirror image occurring when you focus on the front bird or animal and the one behind it is blurred out like in a reflection. These pictures are true eye catchers, and people marvel at them because of their uniqueness. I have a few wild turkey pictures of this type, and one is shown with this story. You can do the same thing if you are photographing a set of twins and dress them exactly the same. You do have some control over this situation so you can produce this type of mirror image easier than you can the ones of birds or animals. If you like to photograph kids, a picture of this type will really impress parents. Let your light shine before men The Most Incredible Mirror Image God is truly a majestic God. His glory is in evidence all around us in His creation, and we photographers work hard at capturing His handiwork. But there is much more to God than the created world. What I am talking about is His character. His character, in fact, is perfect, and astonishingly, He wants us to also be perfect. In Matthew 5:48, the Bible tells us, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Just think, God wants His light to shine on us and for our lives to be a mirror image of His character. Isn’t that just absolutely incredible? Along about now you’re probably thinking, “But I can’t be perfect.” No, you can’t, and neither can I or anyone else. But with God helping us with His Holy Spirit, we can be much better. Let’s go back to the mirror images in our pictures. The best ones are when the water is calm. Even then, though, the reflections don’t look quite as good as what the light was reflected from. If the water is rippling there is even more deterioration in the image, but it’s still a thing of beauty. These pictures are kind of like our lives. We can’t be perfect like God, and if our life is troubled (full of ripples) for sure we won’t come close to reflecting his perfect love. Despite these shortcomings, when people see us working closely together with God, showing love, kindness, joy, generosity, patience, forgiveness, and all of His other wonderful attributes, they will see the most amazing mirror image of all. And, perhaps, the light reflected from God to us will be the means by which someone will be saved. Until next week, let’s all strive to capture those amazing mirror images, both in our photography, and in our Christian lives. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 Copyright 2010 Brad Herndon |
Brad and Carol HerndonBrad and Carol Herndon live in a small cabin nestled in beautiful Browstown, In. Brad and Carol have the unique ability to see the world through the lens of a camera! They take this wonderful gift and use it to bring those who view thier work closer to the Creator, Almighty God, who has created all things seen and unseen! Archives
July 2011
Categories |