View in Flickr (see it LARGE)
View in Flickr (see it LARGE)
View in Flickr (see it LARGE)
The past month or so has been extremely busy, so very few photos have been posted on Flickr or on the blog. Or, maybe it is I am geared up for baby Nolan who is due in six days (or whenever you guys predicted earlier!). The pictures above are of some friends from back in Alabama who asked me to shoot their wedding. Actually, Beth was a student of mine while I was a student minister and Kenny currently works for UPS as well. I don’t shoot many weddings anymore due to my attempt to focus and finish with seminary. Actually, I think I am going through photog depression. 🙁
Also, I am not sure how blogging will shape up in the days to come. I have several things I would like to blog about–in fact, I have enough ideas/drafts to last me the rest of the month. Yet everything is subject to change with baby Nolan and the holidays, so if you start seeing a bunch of baby pictures, know you have been forewarned. I also have been thinking about posting the “Best of 2007” towards the end of this month–that is, posts that resonated most with folks like you.
Lastly, I have been wrestling with the idea of blogging through a paper I wrote this semester on the mission of the Holy Spirit in the world. The fundamental issue is an important one, though I do not know if there is any interest in discussing the topic. Basically, inclusivism (the belief that you do not have to hear of and believe in Jesus Christ to be saved) holds that the Spirit’s mission is geographically larger and chronologically prior to the mission of Jesus and the church. What I sought to do is develop a biblical response and critique of “pneumatological inclusivism” while proposing an alternative understanding of the mission of the Holy Spirit in the world. Anyone interested? If so, I will work towards making a series out of it.
Timmy…great shots. I have a question for you. On the shot of them walking toward you, how’d you avoid backlighting problems? That is, what settings do you think of to help you make sure their faces are not dark.
Brandon,
I have found that shot to be one of the most difficult to properly expose. I have found that if you use a telephoto zoom lens, zooming in and out, your shutter speed with need to change rather drastically, depending on how much light you allow (more wide-angle = more light). I tend to try to keep the same distance and focal length, walking backward, and shooting at a faster shutter speed. Truth be told, I have overexposed these shots more than any other, blowing out the dress and details as I have not remembered to change the ISO from inside to outside or did not factor in the background light.
Regarding backlight problems, I usually try a couple of things. First, I try to adjust levels, especially midrange levels, then decrease contrast just a little. I also have a PS action that is a “backlight compensation” although I do not use it that much.
Technically, when I know this is the case, I either try to use a fill flash allowing for high shuter sync or simply shoot a 2/3 stop higher in exposure, being willing to blow out the background to preserve the foreground detail.
That’s generally what I work towards. Sometimes the exposure gradient is just to great to overcome, and you have to do the best you can with what you’ve got. If you’ve got an assistant, perhaps getting a portable flood light to shine on the couple as they are exiting would also be a nice help.
It would be very interested in this biblical response and critique of “pneumatological inclusivism”.
Thanks Stefanie! That’s one vote in favor–do I hear a second?
Sure. Post it Timmy.
The way I have explained it is that inclusivism works under the anthropocentric world view that values man’s salvation above the glory of God. If man’s salvation trumps the Glory of God in value and importance, then sure, we can talk about different ways to God – but if God’s glory is the ultimate end; then inclusivism, at any level, disintegrates.
From your pneumatological angle, if the Holy Spirit does an end around Christ, by bringing human beings to God in some other way, then the Trinity crumbles. Take away the exclusivity of Christ and every other Biblical doctrine falls apart.
I’d love to hear your take.
Don,
Thanks for chiming in. Yes, I do believe that inclusivists try to argue for a wideness in God’s mercy through a pneutmatological back door. You are right to argue that there are multiple Trinitarian issues regarding their model. What I will probably do is break it down into digestible segments, posting one part each week for however long it takes. My paper was 30 pages, but I have much more research that was not included (I primarily stuck with Pinnock’s pneutmatological model, although I have studied Amos Yong, Terrance Tiessen, John Sanders, and others). I will likely begin that series at the start of next year.
No offense to the people in your photo, but I have a firm conviction that if you wear a cowboy hat with your tuxedo, you should also go with the cowboy string tie rather than a regular necktie.
If baby Nolan’s pictures are anything like the wedding shots—-we’ll be awed. Although, babies in general make people ooh and aah. 🙂 Looking forward to LOTS of pictures of baby Nolan with his mom and dad—–babies grow so fast, you’ll cherish all the photos you’ll take.
Thanks Jennifer. I have been thinking about getting a Flickr page for Nolan and doing a picture a day for the first year of his life. Of course, my wife will have to get in on the act!
Here’s a little pregnancy humor I thought you’d might appreciate since you just had a baby. We have been told (by more than one source) that eating eggplant parmesan will stimulate inducement within 48 hours. We couldn’t figure out why, that is, until my wife later burped. I think the trick was to put something in her belly that Nolan’s only response would be, “Somebody get me out of here!” So eggplant parmesan, I think, is designated to get babies out of their comfort zone and into preparing for an exit strategy.
We’ll have to see if it works. 🙂