Dickens Festival St. George, Utah

What a great show!  I love the Holiday feeling that accompanies the Dickens Festival.  The music, food, entertainment and of course holiday shopping.  It was very nice to visit with everyone who stopped by my booth.  I appreciate your comments!  You strengthen my testimony when you share your thoughts and experiences about the Temple.  It always is a comforting reminder why I work so hard to show my love for these magnificent structures. Thank you for living the Gospel.

Holidays are fast approaching.

With the holidays fast approaching, its time for the Trade shows.  I have spent the last few months frantically getting ready for the Dickens Festivals in St. George and Salt Lake City, Utah.  I will be displaying and selling my Temple work.  I build all of my custom frames therefore, I have been working almost night and day to get things ready.  It will be a great show!  The atmosphere is set in 19th century London England. You will have a great shopping experience.  I hope to see you there.  I love the Holiday season.  Especially the Spirit that attends it.  I find that people are a little more receptive, kinder, gentler, and defiantly more loving to one another.  It's a wonderful time to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I hope that you will find yourself sharing those Christ like attributes with those around you. 

Competitive

I thought High School sports was competitive, until I threw my hat into the ring of photography.  I have always enjoyed capturing a great moment on film, but now with the advancements of digital photography it seems that everyone is a photographer for hire.  I truly enjoy knowing how my camera functions and the miraculous piece of technology that I hold in my hand each time I click the shutter.  Shutter, exposure, lighting, Aperture, ISO, concepts that are becoming lost in the digital age, I fear.  With the wonderful advancements of the camera industry all you have to do is let the camera think for you.  Sounds great right! Not if you can't produce the same quality each time you shoot.  I wouldn't want to trust my special day to just anyone.  I'm a firm believer that you should know why and the how of just what happened to get a shot. Instead of just looking at your instant preview and being overjoyed by a happy little coincidence.  My hat goes off to those who have studied and truly learned the mechanics of fine photography.  An art that I strive to encompass everyday. 

Manti temple trip

I just got back from a great weekend trip.  Finally I was able to make the trip south and photograph the Manti and St. George temples.  The weather was beautiful.  In Manti I was able to get some great shots with the sun setting creating long beautiful shadows.  St. George offered a warm 97 degrees, something this pale white skin has not seen in quite a few months.  The roses were absolutely stunning and the fragrance was intoxicating.  I was amazed at how the temple grounds were filled with college students occupying every shaded quite nook.  What a wonderful blessing to have the temple so close to campus where you can have a quiet place to study and ponder.  As I sat there and watched the students filter in and out of the temple grounds, I was curious as to what drew them here.  Then I watched as several pulled out scriptures and textbooks and began reading.  The enlighting power of the Spirit has a powerful draw.  These students know the strength that can be gained from the power of the temple.  Even setting outside on the grounds.

Will Spring ever come?

Normally my peas are in the ground by this time of year.  Instead, as my sister-in-law put it "prepare for the ice age"  Is spring weather ever going to come?  When I think of spring weather I think of a few showers, not significant snow storms almost every other day.  One of my very favorite times to photograph is spring time.  Why? Because of all the fresh newness around me.  New birds singing a peaceful melody, new delicate blossoms on the trees, new deep emerald green grass sprouting, new deep purple pansies.  I could go on and on! I love this time of year.  This year however, has been a little interrupted with storms.  I can still look out my window and see the deep green grain growing.  Hooray for that!  I think that I am going to try and get my peas in the ground today. Cross your fingers that the ground will be workable.  I was able to get out to the Box Elder High school tennis matches yesterday.  Tennis is wonderful to shoot.  Your subject is relatively close to you and the action is non stop.  With a little blurring effect the players jump right off the print at you.  It's not as challenging as Basketball to capture great emotion filled photographs.  It was a lot of fun, especially as I watch my daughter explore new angles to shoot from and thoroughly enjoy photography as I do.  A great memory made today.  Get out and enjoy this terrific time of year.

Heartache in Japan

My heart goes out to those suffering in Japan.  What a tragic few days they have had.  Words can't even begin to describe the heartache and sorrow unfolding in their country.  I feel completely and utterly helpless.  I am so far away I wish that I could go there and help in some small way.  If even just to hold and rock a child that is lost and scared.  I am sure there are many without familiar loved ones to comfort them.  Today as I have viewed the photographs of those that are in Japan I am reminded of how deeply a picture can reach down to the very core and tug away at your heart strings.  I pray with all my heart that Heavenly Father will comfort and once again bring healing and peace to their country.  We are told in the scriptures "that we cannot behold with our natural eyes, for the present time the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.  For after much tribulation come the blessings." D&C 58:3  I certainly believe that the Lord will heal and bless the people of Japan. 

Senior Pictures Time

The time is now for all you graduating seniors.  You lucky dogs.....The moment you have waited for, for years!  It's finally here.  And now your scared and not ready to move on into the unknown.  Well, that's what I've heard from some of you.  Years later you will look back on this time and wonder, what was I so afraid of.  It will be easier to remember if you have a great photo of yourself.  (There is my big plug for http://www.stacieearl.com/)  You need a stunning portrait of yourself.  Amazingly enough, I can help you with that.  I would love to get those perfect shots of you and the things you want to remember during this most important time of your life.  Let's face it our brains sometimes cloud or begin to fade.  A picture will last for many, many years.  Book you time now and save. Don't miss out on great deals until April 1.

Ready for Spring

I don't know about you, but I am ready for spring.  I am so ready for the newness of life that is evident all around us this time of year.   Plus I'm just a little bit stir crazy today.  I need to get out of the house.  The beauty of the mountains in spring is a wonderful sight.  I love the fresh deep color green almost like green fuzz that emerges out of the ground the first few days of March.  It brings a cleansing feeling to the earth.  This was takne in Nauvoo Illinois last spring.  I love this time of year because just like the earth I feel a fresh new start each spring.  I seem to see everything with new eyes.  A new appreciation for things all around me that I take for granted.  Enjoy this time of year.  Look all around you for Heavenly Father's presence.

Great time to start writing!

I've put it off long enough.  I have fought  having a blog spot just because I thought I didn't have time to write! And, well who would want to listen to me ramble on anyway.  Maybe no one will, but I will give it a shot.  I love to talk about the things I am learning and the great pictures it helps me create.  Capturing that one of a kind moment with my lens is a rush of excitement.  Looking thru the lens helps me to see life a little more clearly, lets just say it helps me focus on the things that are really important.  I can blur out or sharpen the detail I want to remember or forget....If I could view life like I do thru my camera lens I would probably do a lot better.  I get distracted sometimes by all the chaos of life.  But when I get that shot you know that perfect shot the one that speaks to your soul.  I know that I have just captured something special, but not because someone told me I did.  Its a feeling, something that I feel deep down in my heart.  A memory that will last forever.  I guess that applies to life also, focus on the really important things and blur out the rest.  Then listen for the Spirit to guide me that I might feel Heavenly Fathers divine role in my life.  Everything in this beautiful world was created by His hand.  It is my deepest desire to share this beauty His creations with you.  And maybe, just maybe you will see His beauty in the images I capture.  If we could see the world thru the Saviors eyes what a wonderful life we would have.