A couple of weeks ago we were blessed to have Madison home for Tulip Time. Taylor’s sudden bout of stomach crud meant that Wendy and I did not get to spend time together with the four of us, but before Madison flew back to South Carolina Taylor joined us at Grandpa and Grandma Vander Well’s apartment and I got to capture this lovely moment with my iPhone.
As our girls have left the next, it seems that these little family gatherings are increasingly rare. Therefore, I find them increasingly precious…priceless really.
Last year I put together a slideshow of some of my favorite photos from 2014. I thought I would continue the tradition again this year. So, for Photo Friday, here is a compilation of some of my favorite photos from the year 2015. Some of them are favorites because I liked the shot from a photographic point-of-view, and others are favorites simply because of the moment and the memory.
There are two things about our house that have received the most comments from guests seeing it for the first time. One is the hidden doors, which are very, very cool. The other is the distinctive stained-glass window that sits between our kitchen and dining room.
The stained-glass was made by my father specifically for our house. Yesterday, while the folks were visiting for Thanksgiving, I took the opportunity to grab this shot of dad standing below his artwork.
Dad told us yesterday that he had designed a “message” in the stained-glass and wondered if we’d see it. He said that if we don’t see it by Christmas he will reveal it to us.
For photo Friday I wanted to share another shot I took at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio a few weeks back. One of the things that Wendy and I love about the McNay is their commitment to the art of theatre. They have an entire wing of the museum dedicated to stage art and design.
On this particular visit their exhibition was on the ways that the visual arts have influenced stage design. The photo above is one I snapped of a costume designed for the musical Little Dancer which brings to life one of Edgar Degas’ most famous sculptures (left).
I loved the way the costume from the musical captured Degas’ original. When I walked into the gallery and saw the dress displayed in the distance I immediately thought of the sculpture that I’ve had the joy of seeing in person on a couple of different occasions.
Last Sunday afternoon Wendy and I had the opportunity of visiting the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio. We visited the McNay for the first time on our honeymoon ten years ago. It’s come to hold a special, sentimental place in my heart. I posted to Facebook:
You can have Disneyland. Ever since Wendy and I visited the McNay on our honeymoon 10 years ago, this has been, for me, one of “the happiest places on Earth.”
The courtyard at the McNay is one of the most beautiful, peaceful places I’ve ever been and I could sit there for hours, especially with Wendy. On our visit last Sunday I couldn’t help but take this photo with my iPhone. There’s nothing extraordinary about the photo and I know it can’t possibly capture the true beauty of the place. Sometimes the power of shot has nothing to do with being great photography, rather the ability of a shot to transport us back to a powerful time or place is what makes photography great.
My friend Matthew and I are putting together a workshop for men called “More Than Conquerors” next month at Westview Church in Waukee. We originally did the workshop a few years ago in Pella so we’re in the process of updating it for a new audience. The basic idea is that as a man I’m supposed to experience this sense of being a winner, a victor, and God says I’m “more than a conqueror,” but then I get totally overwhelmed by the fact that the IKEA instructions have no words. So, we dig into that dilemma with the guys.
Yesterday we shot some media for promotional material. I had Matthew (who is a rather gentle, somewhat introverted Marriage and Family Therapist) put on war paint and got him to give me his best warrior scream for this photo.
I was up early a few weeks ago and the morning star was burning bright just above the horizon as the glow of impending morning created a gorgeous silhouette of the tree line behind our home. I grabbed my camera and snapped this shot.
Sometimes photo opportunities come from paying attention to details. While in Edinburgh this past summer I began noticing that many of the old buildings contained small decorative flourishes with a message. They were often Bible verses or a moral reminder. Once I started noticing them I began to take photos of them. Themed photos can make for fascinating collages.
Some photos just happen in an unexpected moment, and this photo has become one of my favorite personal examples. Wendy’s favorite color is red. This past June while visiting Scotland’s Museum of Contemporary Art in Edinburgh, Wendy took a seat on a bench in one of the galleries to rest. I turned to look at her and realized that the artwork behind her made this gorgeous red halo. How apt. She had no idea why I lifted my camera and snapped her picture, but I loved the result.
Today is what we in the midwest refer to as “the dog days of summer.” August can be a killer when it comes to heat. One of my favorite quotes is from Garrison Keillor who said that living in the midwest is like, “spending your winters in the arctic and your summers in Death Valley.” ‘Tis true.
I thought for Photo Friday I would post a photograph I snapped with my iPhone on a whim this past February after a heavy, wet snow fall created a blanket of white across the landscape. It was a sunny, cloudless day after the storm and I loved the way the monochrome black and white of the snow on the limbs contrasted with the gorgeous blue of the sky.
If you’re feeling hot today, thought this might give you a reminder of what’s coming in just a few months 😉
Wayfarer 