Seeing Creation

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water…” (Psalm 1:3)  

I have just returned from a photo trip to California that included stops at Yosemite National Park, Muir Woods, Point Reyes National Seashore and Santa Monica National Recreation Area.  One reason I enjoy visiting other parts of the country is that I get to see trees we do not find here in the southern Appalachians where I live.  Majestic redwoods, ponderosa pines, Pacific dogwoods — even a sequoia planted by John Muir himself brought great delight to my soul. 

While on this trip I started reading Eugene Peterson’s book, Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer.  Commenting on Psalm 1 he writes,

“Comprehension of the invisible begins in the visible.  Praying to God begins by looking at a tree.  The deepest relationship of which we are capable has its origin in the everyday experience of taking a good look at what is in everybody’s backyard.  We are not launched into the life of prayer by making ourselves more heavenly, but by immersing ourselves in the earthy; not by formulating abstractions such as goodness, beauty, or even God, but by attending to trees and tree toads, mountains and mosquitoes.”  

I think Peterson is on to something here.  Contemplating the natural world can, in fact, move us—even compel us—to pray.

Psalm 19 begins with the words, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”  The same psalm ends with the Psalmist praying “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”   

I suggest that it’s not just “the heavens” but all of creation that declares the glory of God and that as we begin “seeing Creation” we will join the Psalmist in offering our prayers to God. 

– Chuck Summers

I was recently surprised to hear some Christians say that nature is not a sacred place, that somehow a church is a better place than being in nature. Now I certainly know the benefits of belonging to a church, but it is odd to hear this about nature. Some folks have even gone so far as to say nature is a terrible, frightening place — the “wilderness” is not a place for man to find God.

I find that hard to believe. Nature photography helps me focus on the truly wonderful parts of our world, and has in fact, taken me around the world seeing so much of the wonder that is God’s. As I narrow my consciousness to me and my subject, I am constantly amazed at what I see. If this is not the handiwork of an awesome God, I don’t know what else is. 

In the Bible, Moses did not go up on the mountain to find a church to pray in. He was in nature. Jesus did not go to the gardens at Gesthemane to be inside a church. He was also close to God while in nature. And in the first Biblical story of creation, God didn’t make everything on earth and consider it so-so. “He saw that it was good.”

So for me, communing with nature is a part of my experience with God. And nature photography gives me the chance to focus in on God’s creation, his “art”, if you will, and share that with others. I also think there are amazing examples of this all around us. The photo shown here is the “art” of mountains at dawn in the Santa Monica Mountains just barely north and west of Los Angeles.

– Rob Sheppard

“O taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Psalm 34:8) This verse has meant a lot to me for over thirty years.  My grandmother shared it with me when I was going through a difficult time during seminary.  She sought to encourage me through the Psalmist’s words to hang in there and not give up. 

In more recent years this same verse has taken on new meaning for me.  In it I find an invitation to “taste and see” that the Lord is good through His creation.  Just as much can be learned by studying the works of great artists, a person can discern much about God by giving careful attention to what He has created.  For that reason, nature photography is for me a way to encourage others to take notice of God’s handiwork.  I want people to experience His presence in creation and to learn the many lessons nature has to teach us. 

Through this blog I want share with you some of my own experiences with God in nature gained by exploring and photographing the work of His hands.  Through our words and pictures, Rob Sheppard and I will share with you our love for God and for the incredible world He has made.  Thanks for taking this journey with us!

– Chuck Summers

I love to be out in the natural world early in the morning. I don’t necessarily enjoy the sound of an alarm going off at too-dark o’clock, but when I am in front of a scene being bathed by early light, I feel blessed. It is like I am at the dawn of creation, in a sense, but of course, the creation of a new day. As the light comes over the horizon, the scene in front of you constantly changes as light moves across the scene, changing what is bright or shadow minute by minute.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

That has always been a favorite verse of mine, and standing in front of nature as the sun reveals its beauty is truly a time to rejoice and be glad in the day, and be glad for this stunning world we live in. At these early times I feel both excited and at peace as I focus my camera on a constantly changing scene from the light hitting new places as the sun rises.

This is a chaparral yucca blooming in the Santa Monica Mountains not long after sunrise. This yucca sometimes has a common name of Our Lord’s Candle because early settlers thought it looked like a large candle flame above the brush covered hills. This early morning scene is almost like seeing a candle lit in front of a great space of natural life.

– Rob Sheppard

On a recent trip to California, I was accompanied by my friend and blogging partner, Rob. It would be apparent to anyone looking at our images, taken at the same locations, that photographically we see things differently.  I love Rob’s work and viewing his pictures helps me to see the world in a new way.  Hopefully my work does the same for him.  When it comes to “seeing creation” my guess is the more eyes the better.  God’s manifestation of Himself in nature is beyond any one person’s seeing.  For that reason I am thankful for other eyes that help me to see better the wonders of God in nature. 

A hymn I’ve heard all my life begins with the words, “Open my eyes that I may see, glimpses of truth Thou hast for me.”  This is actually a prayer I often pray when I go out to photograph or simply to enjoy the outdoors.  There are a lot of different ways God can open our eyes to His presence in Creation.  Sometimes it comes through a friend.

I took this picture of a hummingbird and snow plant in Yosemite NP.  Rob has been practicing and teaching “down and dirty” photography for quite some time.  It’s called “down” because he likes to shoot from very low angles.  I assume it’s called “dirty” because…, well, you get dirty while you’re down there.  I decided I’d try his approach with this snow plant.  Sitting on the ground I focused on the beautiful red plant.  Within seconds a hummingbird came by to take advantage of it.  Perhaps I’d never gotten the image had I not been open to learning to see from another.  Thanks Rob!

– Chuck Summers

Hi! Welcome to SeeingCreation.com. We are nature photographers who want to highlight a spiritual connection with nature through photography. Nature can be a place to commune with God and gain inspiration for life. 

We, Chuck Summers and Rob Sheppard, are two published photographers who love nature and nature photography. We are also Christians who feel that nature is an expression of God’s love and a true gift from God that needs to be respected as we would any important gift. This blog will reflect our nature photography as a way of better seeing the natural world as a sacred and spiritual place that God made. 

Rob Sheppard is an author/photographer with over thirty books to his credit, including The Magic of Nature Photography. He is also editor-at-large for Outdoor Photographer magazine. His website is at www.robsheppardphoto.com and his digital photography blog is at www.photodigitary.com.

Dr. Chuck Summers is a pastor and photographer.  His work has appeared  in numerous national magazines and calendars.  He has published three books: Kentucky: Unbridled Spirit and Beauty; A Year in the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park; and A Year in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area.  You can view more of Chuck’s work at www.agpix.com/csummers.