Photography that is Real, True, & Beautiful
Sometime after me and my husband got married, my husband bought me my first DSLR camera- a red Nikon. At the time, the intention was to capture higher quality pictures of our yearly trip to the Smoky Mountains together. We each grew up going to the Smoky Mountains with our families as kids, but our trips together as a couple were the beginning of some of our favorite memories as husband and wife. Each and every time that we drive through Sevierville, Tennessee and catch our first jaw-dropping glimpse of the Smoky Mountains rising above the town into the clouds, the mountains never fail to create within us the deepest sense of awe at their sheer splendor and majestic beauty. The height of Mt Leconte, the roar of Laurel Falls, the expanse of the view from Newfound Gap, the primitiveness of Cades Cove, the depth of Wears Valley, the peacefulness of Townsend, and the history nestled within the trees and along the rivers is absolutely captivating and never ceases to astound us, year after year.
The way the mountains tell a story- the peaks pointing to the Creator on high, the valleys expressing the depth of His mercy and grace, the expansive views highlighting God’s sovereign reach, the waterfalls roar of His majesty and power- His handiwork is all around us, but for us, the mountains have a profound way of calling our attention to His work. When standing at the foothills of a mountain range or atop an overlook above the clouds in the Smokies, His creativity and artistry are on full display! It’s at these moments when I realize what creativity and artistry are and should be, according to His standards, which are always right and good. Good art should be ‘Real’, good art should be ‘True’, and good art should be ‘Beautiful’.
As one of God’s children seeking conformity to Christ, one of my desires is that the work and art of my hands would be created in a way that strives towards each of these standards. This is why I have adopted these standards as a mission statement for Rescued Wanderer Photography- as a consistent reminder to myself and to my clients of what to expect from my photography.
REAL- The art of photography should express “realness”- it should glorify that which is real, namely, that which God has made the way God has made it, without alteration, preserving it in a natural state. It is for this reason that my goal is to photograph each of my clients in a way that captures the most genuine smiles, authentic laughter, and raw emotion while telling their story as it happened, with an editing style focused on preserving and detailing that reality.
TRUE- Good photography should always tell a story, and that story should be the truth, a telling of events as they actually occurred. Artful storytelling should be held to the standards of God’s absolute truth, not man’s subjective truth which changes with the wind. Photography should glorify all that is Biblically and objectively true in action, word, or thought by beautifully declaring it as good. The story each photo tells should accurately and truthfully communicate what happened, what was said, and the emotion that was felt in those moments, capturing a memory to be recounted for years to come in the moment it takes to look at that photo.
BEAUTIFUL- Beauty is prescribed by the Creator, not created in the eye of the beholder. The beholder’s eyes should be trained to see the world and all that is in it with an eye that is self-controlled and discerning. God has given us a created world that is full of beauty; beauty that comes in various forms, colors, shapes, and dimensions, but He has set standards for what is beautiful and what is not beautiful. That which is beautiful must, by necessity, be real and true. How can something be true that is not also real and beautiful? How can something be beautiful that is not also real and true? A lie cannot be beautiful- because it is not real and true.
Each of these standards are dependent on one another in determining whether a thing is good. And what ties it all together and connects it all is simply- love. A love for God, as He is the ultimate Creator and Artist, a love for one another in serving each other with excellence by striving to deliver that which is good, real, true, and beautiful, and a love for art, as it is a gift from our Father who made us in His image. As a photographer, my outworking of the promise for “photography that is real, true, & beautiful” can only be accomplished through the grace of God as He prayerfully grants me Christlike love for Him, you, and this art of photography. Let’s create something Beautiful!
While you’re here, enjoy this three hour long soundscape ambience video of a Smoky Mountains campfire and Psalm 19 below:
Psalm 19:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
