I’ve loved photos for as long as I can remember. It’s a safe bet that this developed, in part, thanks to my Madre, who throughout my childhood kept a camera (still shot and/or video) in my face pretty much 24/7. What can I say? I was a photogenic kid! There is a “hope chest” in our guest bedroom closet stuffed full of photo albums to prove it. 😉 In any case, my interests have never focused so much on being photographed, myself, but rather on standing behind the camera. Even as a child, I often stole Mom’s camera (and on more than one occasion ruined a roll of film) parading around the house “on safari” or conducting “modeling shoots” with my friends.
Something about capturing memories, zeroing in on moments that others might have overlooked, visualizing scenery in an obscure way or highlighting a person’s true personality just excites me! I often marvel at how much a part of our everyday lives photos have become. We decorate our homes with them, we splatter them on our social media profiles, they persuade us to purchase products, they entice us to dress a certain way or portray a certain image, they encourage us to visit a particular place, they aid in developing our judgment of people or places, they’re used in our education… Really and truly, photography chronicles every aspect of life.
A talented, professional photographer, I am not. But I do get lucky on occasion. I’ve had the pleasure of snapping great pictures of friends getting major FFA awards, I’ve caught images of magnificent sunsets, I’ve captured intimate reunions between family members; I’ve got shots of births, weddings, graduations, ballgames, holidays, vacations and parties. Some are blurry, there’s redeye in plenty, people occasionally look silly (sometimes that’s the “true personality” thing coming out,) and the lighting is bad once in a while, but no matter the quality of any photo I’ve taken, it’s a beautiful part of my life that I wanted to capture. And while I’m glad to have these glossy or matte memories now, I know that years down the road I’ll be all the moreso pleased to share my life with my children, grandchildren, etc.
God certainly gives us passions for a reason. One of the MANY draws to The World Race, for me, was the opportunity/expectation to share the experience with others. Joys, discomforts, miracles, beauty of God’s Creation, heartache, struggles, families, worship, new friends and a wealth of other subjects likely await my camera’s lens in the coming year, and while I am experiencing all of this and more firsthand, it is my sincerest hope that through the power of photography, my fellow Race teammates and I will be able to reach our friends, family and followers back home, stirring hearts for prayers, petitions and praises! Expect an INSANE amount of photos to flood my albums (both on this Blog and on Facebook, hopefully) and if there is something you would like to see, please ask. If I can’t get it, I’m sure another photo-crazed World Racer would be happy to oblige.
As much as photography is simply a beloved hobby for me, I’m so glad that God enables some to master their skills and use them to glorify Him on a professional level. Soon after committing to the World Race, a good friend of mine from high school approached me with a humbling idea. Ashton and I were in FFA together, and FUN FACT, sequentially we each held the position of Chapter Reporter (aka picture taker)! She has been photographing full-time for several years now and has done some great work for my family and me before, so I trusted that her plan would yield some awesome reward. Ashton explained that she now belongs to a Christian Ladies’ Photography group, and that God had been using those ladies to encourage her to take on a different or challenging project that would honor Him. I sat in tears as I read her email, stating that after praying about it, she felt like He was asking her to choose Me and The World Race as her challenge. WOW. Ever wonder what God is up to? At first, I wondered how in the heck we would accomplish this; it’s not like I could just take her with me and have a “camera crew” following me around throughout the 11-month journey (her husband definitely wouldn’t go for that!) In any case, I’m so happy to share what we ultimately came up with. 🙂 But wait just a bit…
I’m currently on “holiday” in New York likely on my “last hoorah” before the BIG one in September! Over the next few days I’ll be hanging with my bestie, visiting friends in Rhode Island to take in some excitement of The Americas Cup, roaming around NYC, catching an awe-striking fireworks display and generally living the blessed life that God has provided. So I’m committing to my first (of likely MANY) photo blog series. Each day, I’ll chronicle my goings on, my encounters with new people, ways God manages to reveal Himself, discoveries, disappointments, disasters (hopefully there aren’t many!) and basically any part of life I can get on film/digital projection! Check back to see what God (and I) get up to; He has challenged me to keep Him as my top priority on this trip, and I seek to do just that!
So for my first Photo Blog, I’ll share a few of my favorite images from the photoshoot Ashton and I did last week. She did such a fantastic job; and I basically did what ever she told me to do – put hands on hips, turn this way, go back there, make a serious face… As she and I both discovered, I really DON’T have a serious face.
I LOVE and am so proud of my hometown (and my State – Shirt says I <3 KY).
Can't wait to spend the next year traveling this globe, living in this tent, loving my life and seeing God's will be done in it!
So glad Ashton added a little touch of my love for Agriculture! I'm looking forward to the (hopeful) opportuntiy to work in missions toward developing sustainable agriculture in some of the countries I travel to.
With God, I'm ready for anything (even carrying my 35lb – that feels more like 85lb – pack EVERYWHERE!)
Feel free to check out more of these great shots by Ashton in my Photo section (and check out more of her work at AshtonOakesPhotography.com)! And check back over the next few days for all the fun of NY/RI adventures!
Be Blessed,
Ashlee
