Current Ponderings

It has been a busy week, therefore - not much photography or blogging going on. Between the AC breaking, working a few long days and trying to listen to the words of my heart that aren't quite coherent: life feels a little sluggish.

Here's a few ideas that dominate the landscape of my thoughts:

(1) The persona(s) displayed by the father and sons in the parable the prodigal son, namely the part where  "he sees his son still a long way off, and is moved with pity for him..." This is truly a gracious idea. The father's heart is for us. He sees us. He runs to us as we return to his home.

(2) This world and everything / everyone in it are completely subject to brokenness.This idea has changed the way I look at a lot of things; it is starting to free me from judgment of my brother. If I, and everyone with me, is subject to the brokenness of: our world, our systems, our governments, our schools, our agri-business, our global economics, our addictions..... We are all in the same boat. In the same fight. The words of Plato come to mind "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

(3) What does it look like to live freely in a country where, technically (by letter of the law)I am free, but in reality I am a slave to whatever has mastered me. So many things vie for my devotion: organizations, ideas, people, debts, commitments of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes I feel completely free, and other times I feel trapped. Not sure what makes the difference. Sometimes it is a fickle as what I ate for breakfast. I think this relates back to thought (1). If the father sees me, has pity on me and runs to me to celebrate my life and what it is to him, doesn't that truly make me free?

These are just a few of my current wonderings. The wife and I are getting out of town this holiday weekend to be free. Peace.

Musings of Chapels and Photos

Sunday evening at Church I noticed an image of a little chapel under a single oak tree. The simplicity of the photo was amazing. Perhaps its my idealism and longing for simplicity that made me appreciate the photo so much. 

Original photo

The humble brick structure reminded me that some things in life are worth building, and worth working toward. Even if the outcome is a building small enough to be covered in the shadow of a solitary tree. 

Truth be told, even though I say I long for simplicity I'm not convinced I actually long for it. It stands to be just another one of those things I say because I'm supposed to, a conversational habit, if you will. Regardless, images of simplicity are a good thing. 

Norcross Station - HDR

In the case of the above photo I did some editing from the original as you can see. (I have no clue who the original photographer is, but I wish I did, not only to give him credit but to see his other work) The only real addition was the blue sky with clouds. It is challenging to photograph an image on the ground and capture a good sky. Most cameras that we use can capture one or the other. Capturing both often requires multiple exposures. Photos with multiple exposures are said to have High Dynamic Range (HDR) 

Much like our eyes are capable of gathering the information to see a beautiful sky, and a beautiful brick building under a tree,  and everything surrounding, an HDR photo captures more information - thus making it more visually appealing and setting it apart from a standard photo.

The visual experience of more information in the case of a photo leads us to think we know more about the setting. Or does it? It makes more elements of the surroundings visible, but it can also lead to more inquiries. When does the sky look like that? Where is that beautiful setting? How come my camera doesn't take pictures like that? More information can lead to more questions. Questions can lead to more answers, or more questions.

Some might say, the more we try to know, the further we get from where we are trying to be. And the only thing I can offer to that end is: complicating what seems to be simple will always lead us astray. That is precisely why the picture of the small church under the tree is so amazing. It is exactly what it needs to be. It leaves me asking no questions. The beauty is simple. But it did need a new sky, right?