posted by James on 11/7/09

With everything that’s been going on with organizing details for the 2010 Calendar and traveling to DC for Daniel’s BibleBee competition, I was unable to get this up on time. However, it is better late than never!

Urban Contrast

I do not normally use this effect on my photos, but the circumstances uniquely called for it on this occasion. It was a dull, rainy day and I was in the city where an over-abundance of color can because distracting very quickly. It was the color similarity between the well-kept VW and the sign of the hotel behind it that first caught my eye. Then, when the fellow who happened to be wearing a red jacket walked by, the picture was pulled out from the depths of creative to extraordinary.

The post-processing selective-color technique is very simple. In Lightroom, I de-saturated all the colors except for red, which I slightly saturated. I then heightened the contrast which is what makes black and white images really pop.

In looking at this picture, I can’t help but ask: how much we pop out from the world? Are we washed in the blood of the Lamb to the degree that people notice our Christlike living?

3 Comments » | posted in Photography

posted by Robert on 11/6/09

Tonight, after two days of intense testing, Daniel won first place in his age group at the 2009 National Bible Bee! Thank you all so much for your support, encouragement, and prayers!

When Daniel first decided to enroll in the Bible Bee back in April, he wrote, “It does not greatly concern me whether I win or not. There is no way to lose! Studying God’s Word and getting to know Him on a deeper personal level will yield a lifetime of rewards and benefits far more valuable and precious than any amount of money!”

On his contestant page he reaffirmed this commitment, “We are all winners! … Hiding God’s Word in our hearts will continue to yield eternal fruit long after all monetary riches have ‘flown away as an eagle toward heaven.’ Let’s go!”

Daniel competes in the Finals, the top seven from each age group. . . .

His success brings him to the Top Three. . . .

Daniel takes first place!

CONGRATULATIONS!

28 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Robert on 11/5/09

Since April, Daniel has been studying hard for the National Bible Bee. This weekend he is one of 100 finalists in his age group from around the nation who are gathering in Washington DC for the grand finale. Please be praying for him and be sure to check out his contestant details page on biblebee.org!

* UPDATE! * We just found out that Daniel made it to the top 20 in his age group! If he makes it to the top 7, you will be able to watch him live during the Bible Bee webcast tomorrow from 1:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

* UPDATE 2! * We just found out that Daniel made it to the finals!!! He was one of the top 7 in his age group. Watch him now live on the Bible Bee webcast!

* UPDATE 3! * Daniel made the cut for the top 3 in his age group!! The first tie-breaking round did not yield a clear winner so they went through a second tie-breaking round. Daniel did well! The winners will be announced at 8:30 p.m. EST

* UPDATE 4! * Daniel won first place in his age group!!!!!

17 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by James on 11/1/09

Lenspiration’s exclusive, twelve-month Inspiration of Creation 2010 Calendar is now available! Not only is it now on sale for $9.99 on the new staddonfamily.com Online Store, it is also available for resale! To learn more about quantity discounts or to sell them yourself, please contact me.

It’s neat to see God’s hand at work in making this production possible! Two years ago, I ordered a small, $24 calendar to give to my Mom for Christmas; people liked it, so I went a step farther the next year by putting together a custom design and printing it myself here at IBLP Headquarters. I got rid of them so fast last year that I decided to put a bit more time and effort into one this year. The result was a complete re-design printed on a Heidelberg 10-Color press, an upgrade that places the product in the professional side of the spectrum.

Initially, the cost for this upgrade was quite steep. However, for some reason I knew that it would be worth it. And God knew why. I was sitting in my office making the final tweaks on the calendar after working on it for over a month, when a friend stopped by to say hi. When he saw the proofs on my desk, he intently inquired what they were for. After some more questioning, he reveled to me a request he had brought to the Lord that very morning: he needed a large quantity of gifts to use as a thank-you to give to a group of donors. Perhaps this calendar was the answer to his prayers.

After some discussion, calculations, meetings with other people, more discussion, more meetings and lots of prayer, we finally came to  a conclusion that benefited all parties involved: my friend now had a gift to give to his donors and I got a drastic cut in the unit price. It was amazing! I had never personally experienced God work with such precise timing in such a supernatural way!

To view or order the Inspiration of Creation 2010 Calendar, please visit the Online Store.

11 Comments » | posted in Art Work, Photography