Tag Archives: photography

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I know You are here


To and From Hamner

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4 (NIV)

Today the Daily Bible Verse I got in my mailbox consisted of the verse quoted above, from probably one of the most famous of all Psalms.

Dave Whitehead reminds us how we have all known places of despair and subsequently how we can find comfort in his presence. For me what jumped out was the wording of the first part of this verse.

It does not say “I will fear no evil if/when your are with me”; it clearly states “for you are with me.” It is the certainty with which David speaks to us about God‘s presence. We all may go through times of spiritual dryness, cry out to God but it seems almost as if He is not there.

Our natural inclination may well be to give into this feeling and subsequently rely on our own strength and cope with the anxieties and stress that follows. David shows us a different way: there is no doubt in his mind that God is with him. And thus he walks through the valley of death boldly, sure of God’s presence.

I can’t but keep wondering. If I was a sure as David, that God was present all the time, what would that valley of death really look like? Would it still be as desolate and scary if we were absolutely sure, like David seemed to be that God was right there by our side? I think that it would actually light of the place substantially and as Christians we’d be enabled to walk boldly into those places/situations we so easily like to avoid because they seem dark and desolate and actually be the salt and light.

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Sunrise in New Brighton


DSCF3077 by johndierckx
DSCF3077, a photo by johndierckx on Flickr.

What an amazing time I had shooting the sunrise at New Brighton beach with my son Tom, a skilled eight year old shooter himself. More at my Flickr photostream

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Photo Journal: Autumn
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Photo Journal: Autumn


Earlier this weekend a walk with my oldest son in one of the many domains in and around Christchurch. It was beautiful in the forest.

A walk with the whole family from Corsair Bay to Cass Bay came with amazing skies as we started in relatively beautiful weather but it turned around with heavy clouds coming in from the sea. Early Dutch painters would have had a field day here.

So here some highlights, enjoy.

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Photo Journal: Before or After


The other day we went to Akaroa for a good day out with the family. As always I had a cameras with me and in recent times I have started to try and capture the different members of the family. I find photographing people difficult for some reason, and my boys are not all that much into the posing. So I try to sneak up on them or using a the zoom, do it when they are not aware of me taking pictures. At some point I called to my youngest son “look look” and “gotcha.” This was the result:

Now while nice, with the beach dirt making for playful spots and discoloring, it was the post chocolate-ice cream that really brought a smile on my face.

Now there is a boy being a boy.

It got me to think about portraits and what has my preference. The nice shot like you get from school or the shot that shows the person as he or she really is. I think I prefer the latter. Maybe that is why I like street photography so much?

What are your thoughts?

 

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Photo Journal: Flowers


Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. Song of Songs 2:12

… See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Matthew 6:29

Summer to me, besides the beautiful weather is together with the spring the season of explosions of color and fragrance, of amazing flowers that never cease to amaze me, new ones that I had never seen before or golden oldies that look even more beautiful than before.  Hard to beat beauty, truly royal indeed, whether it is a magnificent big flower or the tiniest small one, they all have something of a very special beauty to be enjoyed while it lasts. The good news, next season WILL come, there WILL be a new summer again and again and again in which very often the flowers come out even more beautiful, in which the plant has grown to produce even more flowers.

And so it seems with my Christian journey, one day a blossoming flower the other day withered, just as Peter explained referring to Isaiah:

 “All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
1 Peter 1:24

But like I said there WILL be a new summer, in which like the flowers we come out even more beautiful than last season. Maybe that is what Paul meant when he said:

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18