Raising a family comes with many challenges. One of the greatest is raising siblings to respect each other through childhood, not compete for everything, and show each other charity. In between the challenging moments it is always encouraging to see a moment like this, when there is peace between them. I'm glad I caught it. It is a moment to cherish.
For once the trains are running on time!
-ehw
PS Fujifilm X-E1 with the awesome 23mm 1.4
Brothers at work
Here starts a new leg of the great jounrey!
Welcome to the new home of EHW Photography!
This new website is the result of several months of discernment on where this photographic and life journey is taking my misson, artistic interests, and business opportunities. So please let me take the opportunity to explain what you see before you!
Last year when I started this business I had big dreams of what I could do with it. I wanted to understand how the real world works for dinner, pay for my photography habit, give my children a workplace example they could participate in as part of homeschooling, and also express my joy in capturing God's Glory in our daily lives! As you could expect the real job interfered here, general life requirements interfered there, and pretty soon I realized how hard it would be to do anything I dreamed of a few months earlier!
On the really good side I learned people liked my work more than disliked. I just needed to give them a product they could either visualize on their home or use right away. My children did a wonderful job of introducing themselves to potential clients, and helping me with various jobs at the market. One even froze his fingers to the bone helping me get some of this year's selections! This taught me volumes, volumes I'd never learn standing on the sidelines.. For what it is worth, everything I learned merely made me realize how much more I need to learn in all areas of my craft!
I also learned a lot about the technology and services available to business today. Unfortunately for this part time owner, some the of really great solutions didn't fit my model. So after a mountain of research and fiddling I came up with a combination of Squarespace, Smugmug, Square Market, and Shootproof to make my work come to life. That is why I will slowly move away from my Wordpress site to this new one for all my work.
So EHW Photography is ready and willing to help you. I can help you decorate, learn a few lessons about camera operations, composition, editing photos, and even photograph your car if you'd like! Most of all though I want to help you Capture His Glory in Life!
God Bless You!
-ehw
The world fell silent on that Holy Saturday. The Lord who lowered himself to become a mere mortal man, in death went even lower. As he opened the gates of hell, we could not see his preaching and the legions coming to the sound of his voice and the promise of salvation.
This thought from todays Divine Office sermon in the daily Office of Readings made me think a lot differently today. The rain here last night stopped baseball and sports in its tracks across northern metro Atlanta. My day went from overfull to silent in outside activity. We were able to do what my heart really no desires, focus on preparing for the big religious celebration tomorrow.
I spent time with my father collecting a few final supplies for the big Easter feast. It was busy out in public, but the time we spent together reflectively. The children were at home with my wife, mother and sister prepping the house and the easter cake (A two foot tall bunny cake). When we arrived home we all decorated the eggs made with care in the morning by my mother, dad and I. My wife was checking out the clothing for Easter Sunday, and making sure we had enough of the vitial things like dark socks cleaned and folded. Then a final treat when my Dad took us all out for dinner...before we shuffled everyone off to bed.
Now the house is quieting down...only the two year old remains calling for anyone to get her out of the crib to play a few more hours (this kid does not sleep enough...GO GO GO).
I'm now reflecting on the incredible challenges we overcame, the love of friends helping us in deed and prayer through those challenges, and finally the growth my family went through spirituallyin the 40 days of Lent.
I am happy the world went silent today. It gave me the time to now go to bed with a long list of thanksgiving prayers I need to say.
The first to the Lord for his suffering and final victory. The rest to all those who followed his teachings to lift us up when we were down.
-ehw
Christ took on the burdens of all of us. He hung the on the tree, and the weight of our sins pulled him into death.
Christ then showed how the power of God defies worldly wisdom.
In the weakness of death he set all men free.
By ripping open the gates of hell, Jesus brought the gospel to the faithful who died before his word circulated the world. Those who embraced it, I am sure, are now saints in heaven praying for us below.
The words he preached continue today to circulate among us, and possess the power to save us if we surrender our lives to him.
I am working on the complete surrender to Christ's call...I know it is a lifelong process. I know with each step I take, he will be there with me making my cross lighter. I certainly know that this week he lifted my family up through the power of his love, his church's sacraments, and words of wisdom. I could not have done it without him.
I hope you too will make the same journey, because God's love grows with each and every step we take together in his name!
-ehw
Spring is barreling its way into Roswell, Georgia. Those of us with hay fever are also remembering why Atlanta Metro is known as the friendliest city to trees in the entire Untied States. The pollen count went well over 2000 for trees this week. Lovely time of year, the weather is great...but your cars are yellow...and don't touch your eyes!
We had a crazy week around my house, and a zany week to come with all sorts of fun and Holy Week to wrap it all up!
This year I found myself able to take off the last three days of Holy Week. SoI grabbed it. It is my favorite time of the liturgical year. I love the opportunity to contemplate on the fact that Jesus, God Incarnate, dies for me and everyone so we may be free. It brings me hope and peace.
The photo today reflects that thought as well. The tree went to sleep in fall, shedding its outer layer of leaves to survive the winter. Now with the light and warmth of spring new flowers arise. In them we see a mere prelude to the glory and beauty that is the love of God in our lives.
-ehw
Shortest post ever since the sun comes up early and as usual I will beat it to work...
One more day and then the weekend. However never let your work suffer because of short sightedness or being asleep at the wheel!
-ehw
P.S. So,I'll take my nap now!>
Today was two days in one, so please forgive me if this is a confusing.
We had one of those days around the house which makes you appreciate each person in your family and close friend circle a little more than when you woke up.
We had the little boy praying for his favorite pastor, now in heaven, the night before surprise me with the things he learned about faith, hope, love of God, and respect for authority this year in Blue Knights (and his catechism!).
We had a friend race over to help us and another storm heaven with prayers, as Mom and Dad had to make an unexpected trip...and we saw how deeply we love the lives of our children...and the new one on the way...before any saw the first light of day.
I had two big kids step up and grow up just a little more when faced with a challenge. I love them lots. Much more than words or photos could ever show (well no one really gets photos of me with my kids since I'm the photog!)
And then my youngest daughter fell asleep on my shoulder in church tonight while two boys sang in the children's choir (of course now at almost 10PM she just wants to party!).
This photo I played with seemed to fit the day's adventures. A lovely red blossoming flower surrounded by by busy texture. That was today...life unfolding surrounded by the texture of confusion, noise, friends sustainment, and warmth.
All in all it was a day when we could say God is good to us in ways we could not fathom at the first light of dawn. A day reminding me to say thank you to God for all he did in so many little ways and lives to sustain us. A day which makes me say thank you for having one more day tomorrow to recover and praise his name again.
-ehw
Today was two days in one, so please forgive me if this is a confusing.
We had one of those days around the house which makes you appreciate each person in your family and close friend circle a little more than when you woke up.
We had the little boy praying for his favorite pastor, now in heaven, the night before surprise me with the things he learned about faith, hope, love of God, and respect for authority this year in Blue Knights (and his catechism!).
We had a friend race over to help us and another storm heaven with prayers, as Mom and Dad had to make an unexpected trip...and we saw how deeply we love the lives of our children...and the new one on the way...before any saw the first light of day.
I had two big kids step up and grow up just a little more when faced with a challenge. I love them lots. Much more than words or photos could ever show (well no one really gets photos of me with my kids since I'm the photog!)
And then my youngest daughter fell asleep on my shoulder in church tonight while two boys sang in the children's choir (of course now at almost 10PM she just wants to party!).
This photo I played with seemed to fit the day's adventures. A lovely red blossoming flower surrounded by by busy texture. That was today...life unfolding surrounded by the texture of confusion, noise, friends sustainment, and warmth.
All in all it was a day when we could say God is good to us in ways we could not fathom at the first light of dawn. A day reminding me to say thank you to God for all he did in so many little ways and lives to sustain us. A day which makes me say thank you for having one more day tomorrow to recover and praise his name again.
-ehw
My little girl Kellie her was reading like her big sister bookworm, and I just had to capture the smile...so I did.
Now in this little photo I found myself able to teach myself the value of a feature, and to remember an RC (as in Raphael Conception) rule.
I knew the had a high contrast scene, and to use the zone metering would make everything 18% grey (aka blah). So for this photo I slipped into spot metering (my spot metering is aligned with my focus point). This means my focus point will be exposed properly, and everything else will be exposed relative to that value. As a result you get all the blown highlights above my daughter, but I accepted that since I wanted it to be light and airy. Had I used zone metering the camera would attempt to meter different segments of the photo to have as much properly exposed as possible. Normally that is great, but it would take the pop out of this photo and make it flat. So my desired light and airy feel would be gone.
The other rule, RC's rule for kids, is in full force here. I had to take three photos with Mr Fuji to get the combination of smile, head tilt and light I wanted in the final product. RC is right that you can get good photos of kids...you just need to take lots of photos to get the one worth keeping. I can say for sure this is not luck, it is perseverance. (RC is often on the video blog Photography Tips and Ticks, Kelby One and his website www.aboutrc.com)
Just one point here about how lucky I've been so far in my short photography career. Even though I'm just a little guy, sold only a few photos, have so much to learn...I've had the opportunity to meet some of the nicest people in the business. I've met and briefly worked with big industry names like Skip Cohen, Michele Celentano, Bob Coates, Scott Bourne, RC, Bill Fortney, Jim Begley and they all gave me the time of day deep respect as a person. I've also met great photographers I count as friends like Adrian Ciolacu, Fran Ruchalski, Bret Watkins and many others who inspire me and helped me with things like finding a good print shop. I actually I hope I don't insult anyone who I run out of space to mention....
I think the thing that makes them so special is that they know how to approach a crowd with multi zone metering...and when given the chance to meet you one on one switch to spot metering. As a result they speak to you, treat you well and make you want to take care of them as they do to you.
So look them up, and enjoy their work. I'll try to get a link in to each over the next few weeks so you can see the wide range of talents that inspire me...and maybe you too!
-ehw
I don't know about you, but this almost feels like we're going to have a year without a summer! The flowers and blooms though are trying to come out and enjoy the sun. Just a quick shot from the yard in the fading spring light this weekend. These flowers are very graceful for a day at most, then they get twisted, and lose a lot of their appeal. So if I want a shot of them, I need to photograph them as soon as they open. So the lesson of the day is to take the shot now, because you never know if it will be there tomorrow.
Good lesson for life as well.
-ehw
P.S. Fuji X-E1 with 60mm close up lens. (This is not a true macro as it will only do 2:1, not the full 1:1 a traditional macro will obtain)
Out at Old Car City not all is lost in terms of color! I wanted to combine the chrome and color for a few shots, and this was my favorite if the bunch. This is one of the few I set up that was not HDR. The image just came out better is way. Lesson for the day is that sometimes less is more!
I think that was an important part for me to digest last night at the movie. God really does give us what we need for anything he expects of us. While we may always want more skills, riches, or luck....he equipped us with just what we need. So just work with it and trust in him!
Ok I'll admit I'm working on the last part myself! That is my cross to bear.
-ehw
God's Not Dead!
If you have not yet seen the movie, I suggest you do!
It lets you know you are not alone in your faith and love for God. In today's day and age, that is a message we all need to hear whenever possible.
The Holy Spirit sent a message, and the movie makers did their best to let God's word sing.
Do to subject matter I would take your children high school and up. It would be a great conversation starter, so they can understand what challenges awaits their faith outside your home's protective bubble (well maybe they are facing it is in public school already...)
Here is a link to the website so you can find out more, and a movie house playing it! God's Not Dead
-ehw
A fun part of Old Car City is hearing people point at a car and say, "That is my first car!" I also hear people say, " That car took my family everywhere when I was a child." Since I did not find any International Scouts, Volkswagen Vanagons, or Japanese market mini-vans (the only forgiegn cars are a few Volkswagen Beetles) I had to laugh at the first car that made me think of one from my youth.
When I was five or six I was being a brat while visiting my Babcha and DjaDja (Polish for Grandmother and Grandfather). In particular I was not eating my vegetables. So my DjaDja said, "That's it. Eric Come with me." My Dad's other eight brothers and sisters with the other first wave of grandchildren (My Dad was the second oldest) all said in various ways, " Your in trouble! Going with the Dja to get fixed!"
Well to that level of doom I marched all the way to the attic behind DjaDja. Once in the attic he said something to the effect of "Where did I put those ..." After a few minutes of rummaging he exclaimed that he found them and came over to me holding two plastic cars. One was a red version of the car in the photo. He said that if I behaved and ate my vegetables one of them could come down. Not wanting to pick one, I of course wanted both. I gallantly offered to eat everything on my plate all weekend if I could bring both down. He accepted my offer. DjaDja explained to me that I had to look very dour when I came downstairs so his mean reputation would remain in effect.
So down we went, hiding the cars around the corner from the dining room where they could not be seen by the room full of family. I ate my food all weekend, and raced cars up and down the house to my heart's delight.
Oh well, such are the adventures of Old Car City as you stroll through memory lane.
-ehw
P.S. X-E1 with 60mm Macro. Processed in HDR EfexPro 2
I received a blessing from God today...I went out to fellowship and take photos with the His Light Workshop Crew.
If you have a few minutes I suggest you take a look at the work of Bill Fortney ( http://billfortney.com/) and Jim Begley (http://www.wowphotoshdr.com/).
What you will find are stunning images of life. You will not find subjects created for shock value or pure sex appeal. You find written word and art which lifts you upwards...toward an appreciation for God and all his wonders. Bill is fond of saying he loves texture in his photos. I also think he is very good at helping you appreciate the textures God adds to your life. Jim makes High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos which knock your socks off in content, technical excellence and message. When you talk to him, you can see feel his love of God coming out in the same manner of an HDR photograph where something we think is too dark for perception reveals itself and the composition makes sense so the message takes root in your heart and mind in equal parts. How do these men do this? By actively listening to you, and letting God work through them in a very humble manner.
See if you come to a His Light Workshop, you better be ready for God to speak through its many members. You need to understand that when you join the crew, they will care about you more as a person than as a photographer. The funny thing is when they do this, they offer more of themselves to you as teachers than most others ever will if they did the reverse.
I saw many examples today of agape love in HDR. People freely giving of themselves to care for others, offering a prayer for others in need, and providing an environment for people to engage in the sharing at a level their personalities and life texture permits. It is not loud, it is not outlandish...it is quiet and subtle..it is the sound of the Holy Spirit working his way through people bringing Christ where needed for their sustainment.
So why the title? Well we all have many choices in life for everything we do. In choosing friends and services I think we also have a choice...we can chose Premium or Regular friends. A regular friend will be with us as we travel through life, but when a challenge arrives they'll just walk on their own trying to help you with a man's knowledge. A premium friend with walk with you, and when the time comes not be afraid to invoke God in the discussion of how you shall overcome life's challenges using his revealed laws of nature and scripture.
The men and women of His Light...they are Premium.
-ehw
PS X-E1 with the 35mm Prime
I took this photo on Saturday, and when I took it I immediately thought about Lent.
One of my goals this lent is to work on accepting God's love myself in my personal life. I've noticed over the last few years that when I accept more of his agape (self gift) I can give more of me to them than I could before.
I know it sounds funny, but it really is true. I see this in the lives of many saints. Little Mother Theresa is a giant in what she she accomplished because of this very lesson. So if I can do this on even a small scale in my life, maybe this could help my family more than I ever could going it all alone.
So even though the world crushes us with all it has to make us harden our hearts towards God, we have to fight that. We have to get a peace in our lives that can only come by keeping hearts unlocked to his spirit's love.
Might be a neat idea for you to try as well!
-EHW
PS Pentax K-5 with DFA-100WR, post in Aperture. I used a combination of global contrast, definition and brushes for detail, and polarization.
While shuttling the boys around to baseball today I took my camera along. Good old Mr. Pentax K-5 came along so while the boys do their spring training I do mine. Just as they learn the lovely feel of a glove on your hand, I learn the lovely knobs, buttons and dials and sound of the shutter closing to complete my image.
I took some test photos on the field of my boy, and when I was confident the sports gear was working I turned to having some creative fun. I mounted up my favorite Pentax lens still in my arsenal, the D-FA 100WR and went to work.
This photo is a knot on the bench I was sitting on while Kevin was doing a mock game. I made several photos with the intent on pulling texture out later...then I remembered a line from Brian Peterson's recent video reminding us to add an element to the photo to become an accent in it. So in came the leaf to spice things up.
Later I added some effects in post to pull out the texture of the wood and leaf ...I then cropped it ...and added the vignette. When I was done it was what I envisioned when I started.
I must say I really enjoyed this creative process from start to finish. I am slowing growing as an artist, and this is just another step in the journey. I hope you enjoyed the results as well!
-ehw
Imagine the sorrow a parent feels when death stands at the doorstep of their child's life.
I personally get rather sick at that thought, and feel a sudden panic to account for my children wherever they are.
Now imagine you are Mary the Mother of God incarnate. You chose the path of God your entire life. You accepted the saving grace of your son before you could understand what it meant! Then after 33 years of raising this man you see your son unjustly condemned. He then walks past you beaten and broken as his final mission...walking to his death on a tree. Yet in her sorrow, she still watched her son Jesus become the ultimate passover sacrifice.
The Bible says Mary kept these types of things in her heart from Jesus' earliest days. I wonder when it all came together for her, when she understood the events she witnessed.
How I'd like to hear her explain how her simple childhood wisdom carried her through these burdensome times! Or what she thought when she realized the earth shattering gifts her son obtained for us!
When I think about it, I can only say that I've got it so easy compared to her right now...she is definitely a role model to follow as we take the journey towards her son.
-ehw
PS Fuji X-E1 with 18-55, post in Perfect Effects 8
Ash Wednesday! The preparation for the most important day of the year started today. I attended mass near my office at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary here in Atlanta. The priest provided a great suggestion on a Lent tradition. The usual tradition is that we give up something we really like for Lent. Our celebrant put a twist on that tradition. He reminded us Jesus does not mind us giving things up that we like as a method of preparing ourselves for a spiritual journey...but what what makes him happiest is when we give up the things he does NOT like before we meet him!
That matched up pretty well with my daily devotional in the Liturgy of the Hours. So I'm working on giving up a vice everyday (lets say improving my language and vocabulary skills)....and a an extra vice (coffee) on Fridays. Accomplishing #1 on a normal day will be interesting....without coffee on Fridays? Oh maybe I'll find a way to stay in bed and hide!
I hope and pray that you too will grow in faith and wisdom on this Lenten journey.
-EHW
P.S. Fuji X-E1 with 18-55
Well not to rub it in to those of you looking at more white stuff this evening, but look what was in my yard today!
Two weeks ago we had an ice storm. This weekend we had springlike weather, flowers, and our first baseball practices with the boys.
Walking the yard today, I think the big tragedy may be my gardenia bush near our deck. The frost just ravaged the leaves. It is mostly brown now, and I don't know if it will recover. We also took some damage to the shed, and it needs roof repair now. Hopefully I can teach myself to fix it without too much trouble.
This all just reminds me life is so precious, and our journey in the world so tenuous.
See we're still praying for a lady our age who after having her fourth child in December collapsed in the parking lot at our children's homeschooling music group. Her husband, knowing she was not feeling well that day was with her and immediately started CPR. The ambulance came and she went off intubated to the hospital. All this while her four children sat in the van...again a little miracle since friends nearby swooped them up and took them home for safety. 70 minutes later .... yes 70 minutes later.. her heart started working again on its own. At first there appeared to be no brain activity...and they they tested again the next day....and found some hope.
By the third day she moved her feet, hands and made sounds. She even wanted to know if the baby was hungry. A little over two weeks later she is teasing her husband, who still sits at her side. She knows her children and family. She thinks it is 1996...but she is alive (and with children who were not born yet in 1996) and moving towards recovery. Three doctors already said this is a miracle, even compared her to Lazarus more than once.
I told told my wife I was satisfied a miracle occurred when her husband was at her side that day...and even though feeling queasy she went along to help him get the kids to music. (probably knew Dad would get the times messed up...I know the drill because my wife writes down everything for me and tells the kids they are my alarm clock).
The cause? An extremely rare injury to an artery resulting from childbirth in December.
When told about the cause...she said without hesitation the child was worth the cost.
This my friends is a miracle we should all take note of. We are witnessing a husband and wife who gave all without question to each other, and a witnessing their faith journey with us out here on the outside of their family.
For my wife and I it reminded us to love every moment of our lives. They could be us. Our children could be theirs. It reminded us we need to be living our lives the best we can, because in a flash we could be meeting Jesus.
If you can, add a Marrietta family to your prayers . They have a long way to go before the healing is done.
If you envisioned the scene, and you shed a year of sorrow and joy just hearing this love story...let this miracle help you be better than you were before for the rest of your lives. I think the Lord will be pleased, and help his family even more.
-ehw
P.S. X-E1 with 60mm macro.
St. Rose of Lima...in 31 years of life did everything she could to honor the Lord.
The stories we hear of her life, describe her as a child and woman so beautiful that people would just stop, stare and lose all sense of time. She hated this adoration, and instead wanted people to honor God. When told to marry she disobeyed her parents for the first time and said no...she'd already given her heart to Jesus. She faced many trials created by the devil in her short life, including one described by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, that of losing the ability to feel God's presence. Instead she often felt alone, and this caused her great sadness. In the midst of all of this, she cheerfully offered up her suffering as another offering to God.
I am in awe of people such as her. I'm in awe of my lovely Rose as well, as she kneels to say her prayers in the hallway without prompting at this very moment. She does not want to disturb her baby sister, who is partying in her crib a few feet away.
St. Rose...and saints in training like my Rose...make me realize how much harder I have to work to be a good servant of Christ example in the lives of those around me.
I hope on this Sunday, you too can think about examples you can following for spreading God's love around the world to make it just that much better. I know will!
-ehw
P.S. Mr X-E1 with the 35 F1.4 mounted up.