In my Advanced Pro Photo class today, we were given three sheets of black paper and only these guidelines:
-Create an image using maximum of three sheets of paper
-You can use any type of props or photoshop techniques
-The Paper has to be an important part of the photograph
-Use only one light source

This is what I came up with...

When its quarter past midnight,
and the gray skies fade to black
the waves splash and set me off track.
So my vessel might crash or collapse
when I'm attacked and start wrestling in my head 
with these bad memories from my past

I'm aware of my guilt, 
overwhelmed and the smell of my blood
has the sharks that surround me cast under a spell.

They've waited for me to fall,
but when I fell the water got still,
and the blood that was spilled protects me
It's the same blood that cleansed me.

My only defense against my nemesis,
now I can rest knowing that nothing can come
against me unless the Father gives consent.
Evil intentions will not disturb God's purposes or interfere,
so who shall I fear if my anchor is secure?

Learning to consider it pure joy when I'm facing tribulations
Praising God instead of complaining and getting overtaken with bitterness

Looking at the pages of the book of James
and seeing the ways that God works through trials
to make use more mature in our faith,
and it reminds me how desperate I am in this desert land
Thirst for Your mercy and plan while You give me the strength to stand.

You're my greatest pleasure, 
no matter the weather I face, Lord.
You never forsake my fragile life;
I'm safe under Your sovereign grace.

At some point, every human looks right in the eyes of agony
and through tragedy, asks himself, "how can this happen to me?"
You might be the type with enough insight to hold on for your dear life,
but slipping cause your grip is not as tight as you might like.

You aren't immune to it, and if you're true to yourself
then you aren't new to it, trusted and self lusted and lured to it.

So when the darkness overwhelms me, 
and a tide of lies rises and swells,
"It Is Well" is what compels me.

When face with adversity, 
Your truth constantly reminds me that
You command the seas with ease and with words,
You turn a wind to breeze.

Help me understand that we stand on a Solid Rock, not on sicking sand.
Through the providence of pain, You perfect Your plan.

Predestined, we test it when the works and words of God
cooperate and educate men in a great gift of grace and faith;
That even though its obvious when my outlook's ominous,
You bound my heart and conscious
and gave me a constant calmness.

So when the pain comes like rain 
from the parts of life that maintains it's strain,
I can put my trust in the hands that sustain.
It's profound that with all these sinking ships around me,
He surrounds me and he anchors me with His grace abounding.

Written by: Beautiful Eulogy

Maybe sometimes we're meant to feel a sense of loneliness. Those are the times when we're just raw and empty. I've found that those are the times that we can really seek out The One who wants to be our everything. He wants to be your satisfaction. He wants to heal us completely and be the Only One that we rely one during our weakest times...

We spend too much time feeling upset and sorry for ourselves and sometimes we get so caught up in all the self pity and all the brokenness that we ignore God; and without realizing it, we slowly push Him away. After all, He's the one that made us this way, right...?  We know that God created us, but Satan puts these little lies in our heads that make us feel like we're unfixable. Our insecurities and anxieties say; 
"I'm lonely..." 
"I'm unlovable..." 
"No one wants me..." 
"I'm just broken..." 
"I'm useless..." 
"I'll never amount to anything..." 

Whatever your insecurities may be, the reality is that when we are without Him, that's when we find ourselves becoming all of those things. Jesus is the only One that can fill up our lives, heal our insecurities, break our chains and free us from the lies Satan tells us; that we're unworthy, unlovable, useless... 
He's the only one that can pick up our broken pieces and put us back together again. 

Now take some time listen to this song. I don't know what you're going through or if anyone is even reading this. But I hope that if you are, that God really breaks through to you and that you find what you've been searching for.

So where are you tonight? 
Are you still wallowing in your doubts and your pains, 
or are you willing to give yourself over completely 
to the One who gave His LIFE for you 
and loves you wholly despite your very worst mistakes?

These are a couple pages from the Bridal Catalog I created. 
Thanks to every Bride and couple involved for the products on these pages!

This photo was taken with Jackie and Ryan a few weekends ago. It was a pretty chilly and overcast day, but when we got to the park to take their individual photographs, the sun came out just enough to get some really awesome sun-flare shots. 
I've learned through my time at school, that sun-flare is normally considered a mistake, but ever since I started photography, I have absolutely loved the look of sun-flare in my photographs. So I still use it, as you can see.
If you place your subject (especially if its a couple shoot) based on where the sun is and angle yourself so it's shining through an important area, I've found that it leads the viewer right to where you want them to look and then the flare of the lens leads their eye around the rest of the photograph. 
I love how this shot turned out. I decided to make it black and white because its November and there weren't many colors left on the trees. I feel like black and white make for a much more dynamic photograph. 

Let me know what you think!
See the rest of Jackie & Ryan's Photos: HERE

I shot Ryan & Jackie's wedding this past Saturday. This shot was taken at Nockamixon State Park after their ceremony at St. Matthew's in Bedminster. It was the first wedding that I took an assistant with me. This photo was posed by my assistant when I was doing other shots of the flowers and rings. I turned around and saw what she was doing and felt like my perspective would make a great shot, as well! 

My question for you is this: Is it wrong to use another photographer's posing and set up for your own photos? 

I've found that it's perspective that matters. Most of the day, my assistant was shadowing me and shooting my set-ups and I was completely okay with that because she's still learning. So maybe this case is different, because we were supposed to be working together, but what if I wasn't working with her and I took this shot and sold it to my clients?

I'd love some feedback!

View the rest of Jackie & Ryan's Photos: HERE