Sample 129 - [Dramatis Personæ] 'Rich Man'

Good Portraits continue to come by God's grace. 

The good Pastor in his element. With people. 

Jonas is a good Nigerian brother of ours who joins us every Saturday morning during our Men's Fellowship. During our last meeting, he mentioned that there are friends of his that see Pastor Oscar around, and though they do not know him by name, they call him... 'The Rich Man.'

I may not have access to this great man's accounting records, but I do know that he is rich - rich with wonderful people proud to call him a friend, a father, a brother, an uncle.. I will never forget his lesson in leadership - "There are three R's of leadership: RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS, and RELATIONSHIPS." 

I was privileged to accompany Pastor Oscar to visit our growing church in Tarlac. I believe that he could have gone there on his own, and he could have done everything I've seen him do without me, probably even more. It was impressed upon me that he can stand alone - yet he chooses to have us stand with him. Here I see another facet, another perspective of the love of our Heavenly Father - the Creator of the Universe, Creator of Time and Space, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God of Israel... God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, were in union, yet chose to create us for His pleasure... and though we fell, He chose still to love us, giving everything up so we could be with Him again. 

Thank God for Pastor Oscar. Thank God for everyone we know, for surely in each and every one is a grand opportunity to behold our Father's unfailing love in an entirely unique yet equally perfect way. 

That being said, I am so glad that the fine folks at Fuji have their sensor definitely primed for skin tones, and portraits. I used to think landscapes were the only way to go to show the world God's greatness; now I'm thinking it's a good way, but not the only way. We are all created in His image, to show His glory in a unique way that only we could exude personally. Matt Redman sings of 10,000 Reasons to praise the Lord. I believe that this world has 6 Billion Reasons for us to behold and sing in awe of His greatness. Christian photographer, every portrait you take is a frame containing a man or woman in the image of our loving Father. Though it be the President of the United States, or an ISIS militant fresh from a beheading - that person was created with the original intention of being a beloved son or daughter of God through the finished work of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

And I suppose that though we may run out of landscapes to take, we will always have the chance to capture His glory through the face of human being. Heck, when nobody else is around, I suppose a selfie would do. 

I'm babbling. But thanks for making it this far. Thank God for you.

Soli Deo Gloria. 

Sample 128 - Distress

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Sample 127 - Hesed

Psalms 32:10

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.

Sample 126 - La Maja Rica, ISO 6400

If you find yourself looking for a good place to stay when in Tarlac City, consider La Maja Rica. Though the Wi-fi isn't necessarily responsive, the staff, amenities, and price are very good. These shots were taken to pass the time... though not much time was passed this way, considering these were all handheld shots. 

Lord, thank You for this camera. Thank you for the many opportunities to shoot and share. Continue to take all the glory, for You alone deserve it. In the name of Jesus, amen. 

Soli Deo Gloria. 

Sample 125 - All About The Youth

Thank God for this camera. It may have its quirks and I do understand how some of us in the Interwebs can get so frustrated over its performance compared to the DSLRs still currently preferred by the general public. But hey, it hasn't disappointed.. and even if I may miss some shots or if it doesn't focus/expose the way I would have wanted it to at times, I'm still very happy with it. Again, thank God for this camera.

Things won't work the way we want them too more times than we would ever expect, but one beautiful thing about Christ and His finished work is that it guarantees a bright future for us, regardless of what comes up from our past, or what we see in the present, or what we try to speculate regarding our future. Our God is a God beyond time and space, and Christ is surely our Savior - past, present, and future. 

Soli Deo Gloria. Because of what Christ has done, we have seen these kids establish and strengthen relationships, and though we as administrators are physically tired, we never felt an ounce of stress when we looked over the kids as they played. 

Sample 124 - Remembering Mr. Caleb

Ogilby at ISO 6400

This ISO Range continues to amaze me...

...but it still has its faults. Or I still have them. 

My Mom and my extended family for the first 18 years of my life. I love them so much. 

More of my extended family at the Dining Hall. 

Mr. Caleb was one of the Headmasters in Brent Baguio. During the memorial service Mrs. Daoey was happy to tell us so much about his many contributions to the school. Apparently he was monumental in bringing back the image of Brent Baguio even after varying issues almost closed the school down. He was also responsible for opening Brent Manila (!). 

On a personal note, Mr. Caleb was the Headmaster when our family moved to Brent Baguio. He left when I was 6, and I honestly didn't have any memories of him besides getting scared of him... That's probably because people telling me he was the Headmaster intimidated me, even at my age when I wasn't supposed to care about those things. He may have stooped down to talk to me once or twice or even more, but I regret to say that I couldn't remember anything special. 

He may be gone, but what Mrs. Daoey shared about him got to me. She quoted him as saying the following: 'Do your best; and when better times come, we shall all reap the benefits.'

Amen to that. In Christ, we are definitely at our best - and eventually, by God's unfailing grace, the better times shall come, even when our eyes see otherwise. 

Thank God for Mr. Caleb. Soli Deo Gloria. 

Sample 123 - Cones in Mono

These shots were taken with 'Rose And Driftwood' by Ansel Adams in mind. I used B/W Yellow Film Simulation.

"...it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death."

Philippians 1:20

Sample 122 - Rocks In Mono

Thank God for rocks.

This is a test to see how a shot from the X-E2 fares after going through iOS app editing. One shot was edited with just Mextures, and the other was also resized with Instasize. 

Sample 121 - [Dramatis Personæ] Dragon Lady (Shangri-La Pao-La)

ISO 3200

“Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”

Proverbs 31:21

Sample 120 - Light Shines In The Darkness

These are perilous times we live in. But the fact of the matter is that light still remains and shines brighter than ever before, even if the darkness grows darker. The lines are being drawn. The gospel of Jesus Christ is being revealed more than ever. The enemy is becoming more desperate, his tactics becoming more brazen and brutal. Yet nothing can stop the fact that these days, more and more people are being set free by God's amazing and absolutely perfect love.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow. Soli Deo Gloria, to God alone be all the glory!