Seeing Creation

Like countless other photographers, one of my early sources of inspiration was the work of Ansel Adams.  Even when I knew nothing about photography it was obvious that this man’s work was phenomenal.  I continue to this very day to be inspired by his photographs.

A couple of days ago a friend sent me a link to a website that focuses on Ansel Adams work in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  I have most of Adams’ books and there are very few images from this park in them.  The website I went to indicated why.  Ansel Adams found it difficult to photograph in the Smokies.  In a letter he wrote from these mountains he told a friend, “they are going to be devilish hard to photograph…”  Considering the fact that I have spent more time photographing in this park than any other I found his comment to be quite amusing.  The Smokies are filled with extraordinary beauty; how could the great Ansel Adams find them so difficult to photograph?

I forwarded the link to my blogging partner, Rob Sheppard.  I pointed out to him how I was intrigued by Adams’ comment about photographing the Smokies.  Rob responded to my message by saying, “I think Adams definitely was attuned to the West because he grew up there and spent most of his time there.”   If you are familiar with Ansel Adams’ work you know that most of his famous images were, indeed, made in the West.  Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevadas are featured prominently in his work.  That was the landscape he knew best and his familiarity with it helped enable him to capture the spirit or essence of that region.

In my note from Rob he went on to talk about how familiarity with a landscape affected his own work.  He wrote, “I think I am only beginning to really ‘see’ the chaparral because I have been photographing it for a few years now.”  Georgia O’Keeffe once said “seeing takes time.”  She was no doubt right.  I remember how frustrating it was when I first started traveling out West to photograph.  I was rarely satisfied with the results.  Now, after dozens of trips out West I feel more comfortable and familiar with the environment and it shows in the photographs I take.  The more time you spend in a location truly does make a difference.

I suspect that what is true in photography is also true when it comes to seeing God in Creation.  Here, too, it takes time.  There are not a lot of “burning bushes” out there (see Exodus 3); God seems to make Himself known in much more subtle ways.  This means that we will likely have to spend a good bit of time becoming familiar with our surroundings to see and hear all that God longs to reveal to us.  Certainly God can speak to us anywhere, and we should always be open to that possibility, but it is likely that we will see and hear Him best in our home environment or the places we are most familiar with.  Has that been your experience?

–Chuck

*The link to the website on Ansel Adams and the Smokies can be found at http://knoxart.org/exhibitions/higherground/ansel.html.  You’ll find several rare and unpublished images here.

(I took the top image at Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the middle image of Yosemite Falls at Yosemite National Park, and the bottom image  of Mesquite Dunes at Death Valley National Park.)

Today is the first Sunday in Advent.  We had a Chrismon service at our church this morning.  For those who may not know, Chrismons are symbols that speak of our Lord and God.  The word Chrismon is a combination of the words “Christ” and “monogram.”  Chrismons are used to decorate Christmas trees.  Their purpose is to help congregations and individuals keep their focus on Christ.  The beautiful Chrismons we use were made by members of our church.  We had approximately fifty different Chrismons.  The majority of these were crosses and symbols of the Trinity.  Other symbols included angels, crowns, Chi Rhos, and Iota Chis.  The last two use Greek letters to speak of Christ and Jesus Christ.  There were also symbols from the world of nature—stars, fish, and butterflies.  I really like our Chrismon tree and the way it keeps us focused on the true meaning of the Advent and Christmas seasons.  Christmas is extremely commercialized these days so anything that helps keep our focus on Christ is good.

I think that there are plenty of things in the natural world that can serve as Chrismons for us now and throughout the year.  Rocks can serve as a reminder that Jesus is the “rock of our salvation.”  Rivers, ponds and streams can call to mind Jesus’ baptism and the “living water” he came to give.  The sun and stars can remind us of the truth that Jesus is the “light of the world.”  Trees can remind us of the cross on which Jesus died for the sins of the world.   Butterflies can remind us of Jesus’ resurrection and the new life he makes available to all who turn to him.  I could go on and on. 

There truly is much in nature that can lead us to remember our Creator.  The earth proclaims his glory and bears witness to his love and might.  The apostle Paul would even go so far as to say, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20) 

The Chrismons we placed on the tree at church today will only be there through the Advent and Christmas seasons.  Nature’s Chrismons, however, are there year round beckoning us to remember and to worship the King of kings and Lord of Lords.  To him be the glory now and forevermore!

–Chuck

(I took the top image at Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The bottom picture was taken near Tuoloumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park.)

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”  Proverbs 22:6

This week the church I serve is having Vacation Bible School.  Our theme is “Galactic Blast: A Cosmic Adventure Praising God”.  The curriculum, produced by Cokesbury, was chosen by our children’s director, Dee Branham.  I’m glad Dee chose to go this route because each night the children are learning that there is a connection between Christianity and the environment.

On the very first night the kids learned about how God created the earth and were reminded that it belongs to Him.  In the sessions that  have followed, the children have learned spiritual truths from God’s Creation.  Each night they have also been given “green tips.”  They are learning practical things even they can do to be better stewards of the earth. 

I grew up going to multiple Vacation Bible Schools every year.  I don’t remember ever being taught that caring for the earth is a part of our Christian calling.  Thankfully, the children coming to our Vacation Bible School this year are being exposed to this important truth.  They are actually learning how to see God in His Creation too.

I don’t know how many churches are using Galactic Blast this year but I hope there are many.  It is imperative that our children learn how important it is that we practice Creation Care.  They, too, need to be taught to look for God in this beautiful and amazing world He has created. 

I do not happen to be a parent but I know the value of recognizing and taking advantage of “teachable moments” with kids.   I happen to believe that we have all been presented a teachable moment with the Gulf oil spill.  Our children see the news, they know what’s going on.  Now would be a great time to share with them God’s concern for the earth and the responsibility we all have to take care of it.  Now would be the ideal time to “train a child in the way he should go…”

–Chuck

(The image above was taken at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park.)

Today is the birthday of one of my biggest heroes.  On this date in 1838 John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland.  His family would eventually emigrate to the United States and John would become world known for his writings on nature.  Today some refer to him as “the father of the environmental movement.” 

I was introduced to Muir’s writings about twenty years ago.  It would be hard to overestimate the importance of his influence on me.   He, more than anyone else, helped me see the potential for finding or experiencing God in nature.  He believed “every purely natural object is a conductor of divinity” and once wrote, “My profession is to be always on the alert to find God in nature, to know God’s lurking places, to attend all the oratorios, the operas…in nature.”  I have sought to follow in his steps but fear I fail to see even half of what John did in God’s Creation.

Muir helped me to see that Creation is not something that only happened in the past.  For him, God’s Creation is ongoing: “The morning stars still sing together, and the world, though made, is still being made and becoming more beautiful every day.”  He also reminded me that God continues to care for His Creation: “How apparent  are the love and tenderness of God in the keeping of those dear, delicate plant children of His in places we are wrongly taught to call wild, desolate, deserted!  God’s love covers His world like a garment of light.”

It was also John Muir who made it clear to me that God’s love is made manifest in His Creation.  He once wrote, “All the fields of God, whether reposing in the garments of winter or of summer, sing of gentleness and love.”  Elsewhere he added, “No wilderness in the world is so desolate as to be without divine ministers.  God’s love covers all the earth as the sky covers it, and also fills it in every pore.  And this love has voices heard by all who have ears to hear.”

Muir’s childhood was steeped in the study of the Scriptures.  Biblical allusions can be found throughout his writings.  It is obvious that he saw the world through the lens of his faith.  I have found him to be a wonderful and trustworthy guide when it comes to “seeing Creation.”  I enthusiastically commend his writings to you.

Happy birthday, John!

–Chuck

(The top image was taken at Muir’s beloved Yosemite National Park.  The bottom image is Muir’s home in Martinez, California. The Muir quotes included in today’s blog were taken from John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir.  For more information on John Muir visit http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/ )

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. It is one reason why we moved from Minnesota to Southern California. Spring in Minnesota would really get going about the beginning of May (though there were signs of spring earlier) and be over by June. In California, we have the same sort of spring where plants really get going at the end of January and this continues to about June.

Dogwood is a great part of spring in many parts of the country. This image is of a Western dogwood shot in Yosemite National Park. Spring is going full-bore when the dogwood appear.

Dogwood has some interesting legends about it related to Christ. Dogwood often has four “petals” arranged like a cross. The inside of the flower structure is said to be like a crown of thorns. And some dogwood have small, brown spots toward the center of the petals that remind people of the nail holes of the crucifixion.

One of my favorite sermons was done by a pastor at my parents’ church years ago back in Minnesota. Unfortunately, I do not remember his name. He talked about spring and the crucifixion. He talked about how spring represented a resurgence of life after the “death” of winter (and in Minnesota, that is a pretty powerful image!). He compared this to Christ’s death and resurrection — that Christ died, yet came alive after death so that our lives could be free and full of life. Spring and Easter then represented a wonderful time of rebirth and life after a very difficult time before that.

Sometimes life is not cooperative. Life just “happens” to all of us. We don’t understand everything that is going on, any more than Job did when he complained about his lot to God. Yet, difficult times can be like the winter. We have to trust that spring will come, just like we trust in Christ’s death and resurrection as an expression of God’s love for us. I don’t see winter as a terrible time, but simply a time that has to occur based on how the world is put together, but spring always comes after it. That is an expression of God’s love, too.

–Rob

I had a curious experience in Yosemite when I was up there photographing with Chuck a couple of weeks ago. John Muir, the great naturalist who spent much time in Yosemite and had a lot to do with preserving it, once said, “No temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite” and “This glorious valley might well be called a church, for every lover of the great Creator who comes within the broad overwhelming influences of [Yosemite] fails not to worship as they never did before.”

The trouble was, here I was, standing in the Yosemite Valley looking at Yosemite Falls and I failed. Well, that’s not to say that I didn’t consider this a beautiful place, and a place that showed the artistic hand of God. No, I was bored and I felt guilty being bored in this beautiful place. That seemed like an affront to nature and God.

One problem, I know, is that having been editor of Outdoor Photographer magazine for so many years, and having loved Ansel Adams work, I had seen this scene so many times before, even though I had never been to Yosemite Valley before. To top it off, a gentleman came along, and seeing my camera and tripod, said that there must be 20,000 photographs of that falls from this spot (which is probably on the low side as there are not many angles to this falls that show it off like the location I was at). That didn’t cheer me up.

I feel that nature deserves our best as photographers. Taking another photo that everyone else has taken is not only boring to me, but also for me, it also doesn’t honor nature and the Creator as much as we might be able to do if we find a fresh way to show off the glory of a scene so that it grabs the attention of an often bored public as well. S0 I still felt bad.

Well, I looked up and saw these wonderful trees. They definitely said something about Yosemite Valley today. And I saw the falls and thought they would be interesting together, but the trees were in deep shade and the falls in bright sun. There is no camera in the world that can handle that range of brightness.

Then I remembered HDR. This is a special technique that allows you to take a series of exposures of a scene to capture detail in the dark areas, the bright areas, and the tones in between. Then you combine those exposures into one image that comes much closer to reality.

This was a shot I had never seen before of a place that everyone seems to know! I knew it was different because HDR is still relatively new (if you are a photographer and want to know more about it, there is info on my blog, www.photodigitary.com — search for HDR). I finally felt I had something that honored this very special place and that I could now enter Muir’s church without feeling guilty.

–Rob Sheppard