{"id":33877,"date":"2023-06-08T05:19:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T09:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inspireafire.com\/?p=33877"},"modified":"2023-06-09T10:57:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T14:57:04","slug":"perfect-reflection-perfect-calm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inspireafire.com\/perfect-reflection-perfect-calm\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfect Reflection, Perfect Calm"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Perfect Reflection – Perfect Calm<\/h2>\r\n

Written somewhere is my definition of my photography hobby. I said I like to capture images of things others might overlook or ignore. It\u2019s important to me because, as Paul wrote to the Roman believers, \u201cFor since the creation of the world His (God\u2019s) invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,\u201d Romans 1:20 (NKJV)<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\"Early<\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

In our travels, I will take snapshots of things created by men (architecture, pieces of art, old machines and tools, etc.) because they tell stories. They serve as a reflection of man\u2019s creativity and appreciation of beauty and perfection in the same way the earth reflects God\u2019s. However, my greatest joy in photography is capturing raw nature. My pictures then mirror or reflect, for a split second of time, God\u2019s handiwork–an expression of His eternal being and nature.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Not all reflections are alike<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Being fascinated by all of nature separates me from pro-photographers who specialize in specific subject matter, always attempting to improve on their last. Thus, I haven’t sharpened my skills to capture an image in any unique way. That skill is necessary in order to tell a story different from what others have told. Yes, photographers specialize like every other profession: portraits, weddings, still-life, nature. Within each of those are specialties making more subgroups. For example, nature photographers can specialize in wildlife, flowers, stars, landscape, and more.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Water’s Reflected Personality<\/h2>\r\n

Lately, I\u2019ve been training my lens on water scenery. Water can show many traits, or as I like to think of them, personalities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A couple of summers ago, my wife and I took our first trip to Niagara Falls. My excitement for the moment grew as we drew near, hearing the roar of the falls from a distance away. Plaques near the falls inform visitors that 36,000,000 gallons of water flow over and down every minute. I watched in awe, wondering where all the water came from and how it was sustained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

With my camera and lenses in hand, I set out to capture the many personalities I could see in the water. I hoped my snapshots of Horseshoe Falls caught the might and majesty of the river flowing down over the cliffs. I wanted to hear the roar as I later looked at the pictures. Nearby, I witnessed the grace and beauty of the Wedding Veil Falls. Walking alongside and up the river, I discovered smaller falls, flatter ones, that more resembled the flowing train of royalties\u2019 robes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I enjoyed capturing their images, but I\u2019m sure they looked like every other tourist’s simple snapshots\u2014poor reflections of God\u2019s handiwork. Even so, I added them to my collection of water photos. Some of my favorite water photos have to do with image reflection. One image is a favorite, partly for the memories it stirs. My wife and I had taken a short cruise to the Bahamas. On the return voyage, as we stood on the stern of the ship, the moon was low on the horizon. The ship\u2019s wake caused the moonlight to skip across the tops of the waves, dancing and spreading wider as it approached us.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\"Fallen<\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

I have tried, but have never reached my ideal of the perfect reflection. Capturing the perfect reflection requires the right lighting, focus, subject, and purpose. It requires very calm water, smooth as glass, which reflects the shoreline and beyond with almost no distortion. I have seen others\u2019 prints that could be turned 180 degrees making it difficult for the viewer to know which is the real object and which is a reflection.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We also reflect<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

That got me thinking about the many verses in the Bible that exhort us to be more like Jesus\u2014a better reflection. For example:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n