{Jesse}

When Jesse wrote and asked me if I would consider doing a session with her and her horse, Chooch, I was excited at the idea, but not sure what to expect - I had never done a session that involved a horse, or any other animal for that matter.  But Chooch cooperated beautifully, and I really enjoyed getting to know Jesse.  She's a photographer as well, and it's always fun "talking photography" with people that love it as much as I do...

Welcome Home

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of helping out a photographer friend of mine with a special photo session.  Elizabeth asked me to come assist her at the Pittsburgh airport - she had been asked to photograph the reunion of a military family, and wanted to make sure she had it covered from several angles. 

The wife of the soldier coming home was the one that organized the session, and she wanted us to be as discreet as possible, so her daughters didn't notice us taking pictures.  Even though the lighting was dim, and the situation not ideal from a photography standpoint, I loved this experience - it was quite special to watch the excitement on the faces of the little girls waiting for their daddy to come home after 7 months of being overseas.  I have so much respect for military families, and am very grateful 

for the sacrifices they all make on a daily basis for the freedom of this country.  

We all enjoy the benefits of their willingness to serve.   

Elizabeth {Nursing School Graduation}

Liz has been a wonderful friend of mine for many years...she's one of my sisters that's not really a sister, but could be because of how close we've been. :)  I'm so grateful for my friendships like that...the beautiful women that God has placed in my life to walk alongside of me.  

Liz is one of those women...

we've dreamed, laughed, cried, worked and had fun together...

we've watched God do amazing things in our hearts and in the lives of those close to us.  

And though He's given us slightly different dreams for the future, I'm always blessed by talking with her, and hearing her passion for Jesus and excitement at what's He has been teaching her.

At the end of February, Liz graduated from nursing school, and we thought it would be fun to take the opportunity to do a photo shoot. :)  So, on a gorgeous, early April afternoon, we went into Oakland to do photos in and around Phipps Conservatory.

Liz, congratulations on this huge achievement!  You are gorgeous, friend, but have an even more beautiful heart because of what you've allowed God to work in you.  Thank you for your smile, and for always inspiring me to follow Him harder.  And you never know...maybe someday we'll get to open that bakery. :)  I still think it would be a blast to work with you... :) Love ya!

New Life

Magnolias are probably my all-time favorite flowering trees.  Maybe it's because they are the among the first to bloom each spring...bravely unfolding beautiful pink when everything else surrounding is brown and dull and dead-like.  

Unfortunately, they are also among the most fragile flowers, and that very thing that makes them so eagerly welcomed at the beginning of spring is also very often that which leads to an early death.

We've had an absolutely gorgeous spring here in Pittsburgh this year...everything began blooming around the middle of March, which is several weeks earlier than usual.  But we were holding our breath for that inevitable cold night, hoping that we would have at least a few days to enjoy the colors before the frost destroyed them.  I'm so thankful I ran outside with my camera to take some pictures of our magnolias when I did, because we had a hard frost shortly after, and that was the end of their flowers.  

But, not by any means the end of the life of the tree.  In this week leading up to Easter, I've been wondering what the disciples of Jesus must have been thinking during that whole week.  What an incredible roller-coaster of emotions!  From the heights of excitement to the depths of despair, and from the depths of despair to hesitant, glorious wonder and amazement.  From Palm Sunday, to Passover and the crucifixion, to Resurrection Sunday, and the realization that this Jesus was exactly Who He proclaimed to be.

More and more, I'm beginning to understand that God's ways are not our ways.  We like to think sometimes that we have Him figured out...fit into our little "boxes" that we can understand.  But what is the sense in a seemingly untimely death?  Jesus was at the height of His ministry - everyone was ready to make Him the King in Jerusalem - He could have had anything and everything He wanted.  

But He choose death.  Cruel, agonizing, painful death.

Do you ever wonder why?  I mean, He is God - He could have designed the redemption plan differently.  He could wipe out the enemy with a single word.  But He didn't.

I don't know the answer to that, and I'm not going to pretend to know.  I just know that a God that would become flesh and die for me is a God that loves me more than I'll ever understand here on earth...and He is a God that can't and won't be fit into my limited understanding of reality.  His ways are not my ways, and His thoughts are so far beyond mine (Isaiah 55:8).  

For Him, death meant life.  Not life as it looked before - those three years the disciples spent with Jesus were over, and life never really went back to the way it had been before His death.  But His death meant new life...a better life.  Because of what He did on the cross for us, we now can have new life in Him.

"We were buried therefore with Christ by baptism into death, in order that, just as He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in {newness of life}." Romans 6:4

Heinz Hall

One thing I love about this city of Pittsburgh that I call home is its rich cultural district downtown.  

Besides providing numerous options for amazing photo shoots :), there is a lot of history behind many of its buildings and structures.  Heinz Hall has always held particular fascination for me - many times as a child I attended free day-time concerts for school children there, and remember being somewhat awed by the ornate decor.  Originally built as a movie house, it was considered to be the most magnificent theater between New York and Chicago.  After being forced to close its doors in the 60's, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra saved it from being replaced by a parking garage and completed a 10 million dollar renovation on the building in the early 70's.  Since then, it has been a center for the Performing Arts and home to the PSO and the PYSO.

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to photograph the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra for their 2011- 2012 season yearbook.  It was such a great experience to see a little behind the scenes of this gorgeous building, and photograph these talented young people.  The architecture outside the building is beautiful as well, and I had fun taking a few shots here and there when I had a break...

Oh, and happy first day of Spring!! :)  I'm so looking forward to getting back outside with my camera!

Blessings,

Rachel Elisabeth

March Ramblings

I recently rediscovered Oswald Chambers, and his wonderful little book, "My Utmost for His Highest."  

The book is divided, devotional-style, into short articles - one for each day of the year,

and it takes about one and a half minutes to read each morning.

Can I highly recommend this book to you?  You will be blessed and challenged, I know. 

I certainly am.

Here is yesterday's article:  The Time of Relapse, March 9th

"Will you also go away?" (John 6:67)

A penetrating question.  Our Lord's words come home most when He talks in the most simple way.  We know Who Jesus is, but in spite of that He says - "Will you also go away?"  We have to maintain a venturing attitude toward Him all the time.

"From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him."  They went back from walking with Jesus, not into sin, but they relapsed.  Many today are spending and being spent in work Jesus Christ, but they do not walk with Him.  The one thing God keeps us to steadily is that we may be one with Jesus Christ.  After sanctification the discipline of our spiritual life is along this line.  If God gives a clear and emphatic realization to your soul of what He wants, do not try to keep yourself in that relationship by any particular method, but live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ.  Never try to live the life with God on any other line than God's line, and that line is absolute devotion to Him.  The certainty that I do not know - that is the secret of going with Jesus.

Peter only saw in Jesus Someone to minister salvation to him and to the world.  Our Lord wants us to be yoke-fellows with Him.

I know there hasn't been much photography on this photography blog of mine lately, and for that I am sorry.  Soon, I hope...in the meantime, I've been grateful for lengthening, sunny days, the birds singing outside my window, and peaceful, prayerful morning coffees. :)

Everything Good

It's almost here...I know it.  Spring is only a few short weeks away, and that's a happy thought that makes my heart smile.  I love this time of year, when the earth seems to be holding it's breath, awaiting glorious new life and growth.  Today was one of those "teaser days", and I took full advantage of it...grabbed my camera and my bike and headed to my favorite trail up the river.  

Usually I'm a firm believer in social exercise (who doesn't agree that running and swimming and skiing are much more fun with friends? :), but biking is my absolute favorite way to exercise, and I don't mind doing it by myself...it's such a great time to think, and talk to God, and hear from Him.  And today I took my camera along because the photographer side of me can get a little starved by the end of winter - I'm looking for any excuse to use my camera that I can find.

So...I decided today that it's still a bit early in the season to capture any stunning landscape photos. :) But, God did speak some things to my heart as I was enjoying the warm air and sun.

He reminded me, again, that there is beauty in every season of life, if I am looking for it.

And sometimes, we do have to look for it...hard.  It may look like winter in your soul, feel like winter in everything that is going on around you.  But, I guarantee you, because our God is so very good, there are good things happening, too...promises of the spring that is just around the corner.  We just have to look a little harder for them...slow down, get off the bike, stop rushing through each day...and look for the beautiful bits of life that are persisting in spite of the deadness we feel.

I've been listening to a song lately called Everything Good, by the Christian group Ashes Remain.  I heard it on the radio a week or two ago, and the lyrics, especially the chorus, stuck with me, reminding me of Truth I need to be thinking on at this time in my life.  Here is the chorus:

You're everything good, everything True

When all the world is fading, You're everything new

You are my eyes, when I can't see

When all the world is broken, You will always be

Everything good.

Everything good.  I can only speak for myself, but knowing this about God...that He is good...brings such peace and trust.  He is good, and is working all things in my life to be good in the end (Rom.8:28).  And in times of my life when I feel like "spring" is never going to come, days like today remind me that it's just a season...signs of spring are all over the place. :)  

And somehow the road ahead isn't as scary...unknown, yes, but I know the One Who walks it with me.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good..." (Psalm 34:8)

Rachel Elisabeth