Category Archives: Photo Tips

Can we find Eden?

Did I Find Eden?

A green forest floor surrounded by emerald green trees under a green canopy to illustrate, did I find Eden, in Fontenelle for us, Bellevue, Nebraska

A pathway through an enchanted forest that reminded my heart of it’s longing to find Eden.

Can we find Eden? I think I did!

So where did I find Eden? I found it one morning on a late spring hike at one of my “go to” nature places.

I headed out that morning looking to record a few videos for my “Ten Quick Tips to Improve Your Photography” video series. I did record some videos, but I also experienced so much more.

I started my hike in a lightly wooded area then continued to walk through an open wetland meadow that ended abruptly at a thick wooded area. When I entered the woods, it was like teleporting into a different enchanted land that was worlds away. The sunny blue sky and open meadow gave way to a forested walkway under a rich green canopy.

An Emerald Castle

When I walked deeper into this emerald castle, I felt a tug in my heart drawing me further into its hollowed hallways. That tug spoke to me, and this castle reminded my heart of an enchanted home it longed for. It reminded my heart of a place called Eden.

That tug continued to lure me down the enigmatic passageways. I walked step by step and looked at the forest green and wondered, is this how green Eden was? Or perhaps it was even greener?

So, did I really find Eden? No, but I found something that reminded my heart of Eden. We see a little glimpse of Eden in nature, and it calls to our hearts and speaks of home. After all, God originally created Eden as place for humanity to live.

Our Hearts Long To Find Eden

Deep green, forest ground cover in Fontenelle for us, Bellevue, Nebraska

How thick and green was the Garden of Eden?

The human heart longs for Eden; the garden that God originally created for us. Some people bury that longing deeper than others, but somewhere in everyone’s heart, they long to find Eden. My longing for Eden is not buried at all. It stands out above most other things occupying a place in my heart. I love seeking God in His creation.

As nature photographers, we can find Eden in many of the places we photograph and not just the places with rich green color. We can experience glimpses of Eden just about anywhere nature brightens the world. We catch those glimpses when photographing the flowers in our own backyard, the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific coastline or the wildflowers that grace the prairie. All those environments and the wildlife that lives there speak to our heart and we find a bit of Eden.

When we get out into nature, it reminds us of Eden. God created Eden and filled it with His creation. His presence was there too. Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden. Today, we still long to walk with God in the beauty and peace of His creation.

Eden in Creation Today

The nature that exists today fails to compare to Eden in many ways. We can’t actually find Eden in our current world because of the fall of humanity and the decay that was brought into the world through sin (See Genesis chapter 3 in the Bible).  But getting in nature may be the best way to get peeks of Eden today. The outdoors is a great place to draw near to God.

God filled the outdoors with His creation. We can meet with Him amongst the singing birds, chirping crickets and the hum of cicadas. We can connect with Him when we while walk in a thick green forest, sit on the shores of lake, experience the might of mountains, or when photographing the wonders and beauty of nature

So, did I find Eden? No. But when we explore nature, with or without our cameras, we certainly can get visions and glimpses of Eden that touch our hearts and speak to us about God.

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Should We Post Pictures on Social Media or just Simply Enjoy the Moment?

When you take a picture, do you immediately think about posting the picture to social media?  Do you find yourself specifically taking photos to post on social media?

An iPhone screenshot of a photo post made on Facebook asking the question, "Should we post photos on social media?"

Do you think about posting photos to social media when you take them or maybe even specifically take photos to get likes on social media?

Or how about this? Have you ever been outdoors taking photos or experiencing a moment somewhere when unexpectedly that moment is interrupted by the thought of posting the picture to social media?

This ought not be! We are missing out on cherishing the moment and experience.

Posting Pictures on Social Media and Losing the Moment

Like so many others today, I like to post pictures on social media for a variety of purposes. Those reasons include posting photos for ministry, for business, to promote a blog post, to illustrate a question and of course, just for fun.

But sometimes when I’m enjoying an experience, the thought of sharing that moment on social enters my head. When that happens, part of the moment is lost, especially when I decide to immediately act on that idea.

Too often today, we make life about sharing the moment with those who are not with us. Instead, we ought to enjoy the moment for what it is and enjoy it with those who are with us. If no one else is with us, we can just enjoy the moment with God, who gave us the moment. Why do we want to make our photos and moments about social media and getting likes?

I like being on social media and posting pictures, but we need to slow down.

Shoot Now and Post Now. Why Bother Cherishing the Experience?

Another part of what I like to do on social media is look at the photos of others.  I am a member of several different Facebook photography groups.  It is fun to be a part of those groups and to see what others have captured with their cameras. However, I too often see photographs posted on these pages that people just took or took only hours earlier.  It seems like they rushed to post and lost the moment. Did they take those photos to enjoy the moment or just to share them on social media? If we’re hurrying to share pictures on social media, we are detracting ourselves from enjoying the experience of the moment.

On one Christian photography Facebook page that I follow, a photographer posted photos every day while on a photo adventure. He uploaded the photographs that he took each day or the previous day. He would write where he took the photos and where he was going next.

A mountain sunrise moment in Moraine Park, Rocky Mount National Park in the early fall to illustrate enjoying the moment instead of thinking about posting a picture to social media

Is our moment with God diminished if we’re thinking about posting a photo on social media as we take it?

How could someone really enjoy their photo trip experience when they’re posting to social media every day during their trip? I wonder if they are truly enjoying the moment. Are they enjoying time with God? It would seem to me that something of the experience is lost if the goal is to post pictures to social media every day.

I believe that today we too often make photography about getting a picture for social media instead of for the pleasure of the moment. I speak not from a place of judgement, but from a place of guilt. I know, I have been there. I’ve missed a lot of moments by photographing them with idea of posting the photo.

Something Old School

How about we try something different? Why don’t we make our time about the experience and the moment.  We could make our time photographing nature more about a moment with God that He has given us so that we can wonder in His creation. And oh, by the way, we can think about sharing those photos later. But in the moment, think about God, and think about the moment.

That idea sounds rather old-school, doesn’t it? Taking a photo without thinking about posting it on social media.

We can apply this idea when we are with others. Be sure to enjoy the people that you are with when you experience a moment you want to capture with a camera. Take that photograph for yourself and for the ones you are with. Don’t take it just for social media. Sure, you can eventually post it at some point in time but wait and let the moment be just for the moment.

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