Photography as Art

As a visually oriented person, I often form images in my idea to grasp concepts or ideas.  It must be in my blood, as many of my relatives are artists.  One of my favorite memories as a child was watching my American grandmother paint a landscape, and then she let me dab on little flowers - what bliss to be a part of creating a masterpiece!

Years later, my grandmother gave each of her grandchildren a small inheritance when she passed.  I prayed about what I ought to do with it...the letter that came with the check was clear that we were not to use the money to pay bills!  I wanted to carry on my grandmother's legacy in some way.  Then it came to me:  as a young mother, I didn't have the time or space to continue drawing portraits or paint, but I could invest in a camera and express my artistic passion as a photographer.  

As I peered through the camera lens, God's purpose became clearer.  My motivation and desire in taking portraits is to capture the amazing essence of each individual.  To take authentic photographs filled with emotion and a tangible sense of the relationships between people.  The privilege of stepping behind the lens is in getting a tiny glimpse of God's perspective and love for His creation.  He truly made all of us unique and wonderful!

As much as I enjoy taking portraits, it's important to always grow as a photographer. And I want to continue pushing the artistic envelope, to reveal more of God's heart and His breathtaking handiwork, to draw out more from the subjects I photograph.   More, more, more!

It's definitely a work in progress, and I am nowhere close to what I can see so clearly in my heart.  But I'm slowly getting better and better. 

Here are some of my favorites photographs:

Lastly, this is a photograph of my mother from last Christmas that was transformed into an "oil painting." 

The Creator of the Universe, who painted the world with such a vast palette of color and sculpted the earth with so many textures and diverse materials, is amazing and wonderful.  And He created each one of us, specifically and with purpose.  Beautiful.