I Threw These Pictures into the Album and Out Came This Note

Ok, how to introduce this one… well, it started with a subtitle to a single photograph, went to a short comment on a series, and ended up with what you see below. I now have a photo album and a note. Thus, I simply chose to present the note and link the album which inspired it. And yes, I obviously “talk” too much ;).

To quickly introduce the album itself, I have grouped the pictures in series. Thus, to see what I am trying to demonstrate, the pictures should be viewed from the first to the last in, with each series taken on its own merit. If you do this (and your internet connection is fast enough, you will be able to see the subtle shifts of focus and how each picture is quite unique and presents the subject differently.



I Threw These Pictures into the Album and Out Came This Note

I have a number of different photo albums wherein I have placed “artsy” shots, but this set doesn’t really fit any of them. Among the many things that fascinate me is the idea of focus and perspective, which is the “focus” of this album. This fascination runs through all of life and has applications in things as simple as photography all the way to the highest things pertaining to our perspective and focus concerning Christ.

When studying something or someone, the slightest shift in perspective or focus gives you an entirely different picture of the subject being studied. Each and every shift in focus reveals a different point of beauty, bringing clarity to one part and obscurity to another. The subject hasn’t changed, it remains constant, yet the perception is quite different. Even if a subject is not static, as in the case of people, through studying many different foci and perspectives you are able to discern where the subject is not consistent. Thus, it is doubly important to study people, situations, and anything and everything in life in this manner. Wisdom comes through the application of true study (knowledge) from as many possible angles as possible. Now, to quickly clarify… of course wisdom comes only from Christ, herein this is assumed. These are simply the ways in which we sharpen wisdom as wisdom comes solely through and from Him (Prov 2). A good definition I’ve heard is that “wisdom is a gift from God, a finely tuned gift of discernment.” This is a decent definition, but not fully orbed. Anyway, I am most certainly on a tangent at this point and speak enough of wisdom elsewhere.

In the end, this is why the honest, true, and full study of theology is so important. We cannot completely comprehend God, yet, with the pictures He’s given us, we can begin to study Him, to learn who He is, what He has done, what He desires, and to worship Him for and in His infinite wisdom and beauty!!! Thus in our theological studies, we must be careful not to simply ascribe to a system, but to study the scriptures themselves, and from every possible angle. All too often we care more about what person “X” or person “Y” says about the Bible, than what the scriptures themselves say… are we truly people of the Word?! Ok, ending tangent here.

Anyway, I may be crazy, but these are some of the things I think about so I wanted to share it with you. This is at least part of the reason I enjoy photography and studying beauty in general… beauty is everywhere, we just need eyes to see!