posted by James on 05/31/10

Fern Territory

As most of you know, I am not a proponent of dramatic post-processing techniques. I love realism and natural beauty. If a sunrise wasn’t brilliant, then why try to make it look brilliant on the computer? The art of nature photography lies in the ability, drawn from experience and understanding, to be in the right place at the right time to capture the beauty that already exists.

However, there are times when a little processing can add some spice to a collection of images For example, Fern Territory. As I was going through pictures of a short, late afternoon shoot at Hocking Hills State Park in eastern Ohio, I just about passed over this image thinking there was no real value in it. But the perspective intrigued me, so I decided to play around with it anyway. To my surprise, a complex combination of presets and tweaking allowed this masterpiece to emerge. These are the settings I used in Lightroom in the Develop Module:

• Basic: slight increase in Blacks, Contrast, and Saturation.
• Tone Curve: slight increase in Highlights, considerable increase in Lights, slight decrease in Darks, and considerable decrease in Shadows.
• Split Toning: slight increase in Highlight Hue, increase in Highlight Saturation, increase in Balance, and slight increase in Shadow Hue
• Vignette: varied, but considerably increased.

So, though I don’t recommend doing so much processing on a normal basis, occasional dramatic edits might help in transforming the boring.

7 Comments » | posted in Photography

posted by Donald on 05/28/10

“The sciences have been compared to a circle, of which religion composes a part. To understand any one of them perfectly, it is necessary to have some knowledge of them all. Bacon, Boyle, and Newton included the Scriptures in the inquiries to which their universal geniuses disposed them, and their philosophy was aided by their knowledge in them. A striking agreement has been lately discovered between the history of certain events recorded in the Bible and some of the operations and productions of nature, particularly those which are related to Whitehurst’s observation on the deluge, in Smith’s account of the origin of the variety of color in the human species, and in Bruce’s travels. It remains yet to be shown how many other events related in the Bible accord with some late important discoveries in the principles of medicine. The events and the principles alluded to mutually establish the truth of each other.”

“. . . The only means of establishing and perpetuating our . . . government . . . is, the universal education for our youth in the principles of Christianity by means of The Bible; for this divine book, above all others, favors that equality among mankind, that respect for just laws, and all those sober and frugal virtues which constitute the soul of republicanism.”

-Benjamin Rush, late 1700’s

From a personal letter, later published as a tract, “The Bible in Schools”

by the American Tract Society, circa 1830

2 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Esther on 05/25/10

People started gathering around the baggage claim. More suitcases started their trip around the conveyer belt. I waited. Some people with brief cases, some with children, but only one with, yes! a violin! That’s Jonathan!  I eagerly made my way over for a grand reunion. I had come into Dallas the day before on the train and jumped on the ride to the airport to pick up Jonathan Monday morning. The two of us have joined a class of 27 eager violinists and violists in developing our technique.

Today was the first full day. A lesson, assisted practice and group practice sessions, observing others’ lessons and a few hours on our own to refine what we have been taught, made for a very full first day.

We topped it off with a fun call home on skype, a game of volley ball (Jonathan and my team won, of course, but it was close! ), and a Bible Study as a class on John Piper’s book “Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die”. But the icing on the cake was when the maintenance crew announced that progress was being made on the air conditioning! It’s been in the 80s and 90s here without air conditioning working in our bedrooms and practice rooms, so we were very grateful for the news!

Please be praying that we would make the most of each lesson and be an encouragement to the rest of the team. Thank you all!

5 Comments » | posted in Making Melody

posted by Donald on 05/20/10

“II. My second argument in favor of the use of the Bible in schools is founded upon an implied command of God and upon the practice of several of the wisest nations of the world….”

Here Dr. Rush references the command of trans-generational perpetuation of the Law from Deuteronomy chapter six, then continues: “[The people of Israel] flourished as a nation in proportion as they honored and read the books of Moses, which contained the only revelation that God had made to the world. The law was not only neglected but lost, during the general profligacy of manner which accompanied the long and wicked reign of Manasseh. But the discovery of it amid the rubbish of the temple by Josiah and its subsequent general use were followed by a return of national virtue and prosperity. We read further of the wonderful effects which the reading of the law by Ezra, after his return from his captivity in Babylon, had upon the Jews. They hung upon his lips with tears, and showed the sincerity of their repentance by their general reformation.

The learning of the Jews, for many years, consisted in a knowledge of the Scriptures…. Jews who wandered from Judea into other countries carried with them and propagated certain ideas of the true God among all the civilized nations upon the face of the earth….”

“… The benefits of an early and general acquaintance with the Bible … have appeared in many countries in Europe since the Reformation. The industry and habits of order which distinguish many of the German  nations are derived from their early instruction in the principles of Christianity by means of the Bible. In Scotland and in parts of New England, where the Bible has been long used as a schoolbook, the  inhabitants are among the most enlightened in religions and science, the most strict in morals, and the most intelligent in human affairs of any people whose history has come to my knowledge upon the surface of the globe.”

-Benjamin Rush, late 1700’s

From a personal letter, later published as a tract, “The Bible in Schools”

by the American Tract Society, circa 1830

3 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Robert on 05/19/10

The Gillaspies are some friends of ours who live in Florida. We have a lot in common. They homeschool through ATI, enjoy beekeeping, and love birdwatching! Visit their new family website at www.thegillaspiefamily.com!

1 Comment » | posted in Family News