Rodney Steele Studio

10/04/2025

Sharing a series of pics that are planned for the upcoming exhibit, Nature’s Sanctuary. These depict the way we daydream with nature. Moments when we relieve stress by staring out the window or sitting on a park bench. The need to turn to Nature for relief is nothing new. The first image is from the jury box in the courtroom where perhaps a member of the jury was struggling with a hard decision. A park bench invites a more immersive time in the outdoors with nature. Hope you enjoy the pics and hope you find time today to take a break with nature. God bless!

03/16/2025

When I was younger and still lived with my parents, and felt the need to be nearer to God I'd go and sit in the silent sanctuary of our church. No sound, no words, no agenda other than hanging out with God in sacred space. In that time with God, my problems and situation didn't change but I changed. My anxious spirit subsided, my loneliness lessened and my sense of worth and strength grew by experiencing God's loving presence. All God's doing while I simply sat in the sanctuary. I don't have spiritual experiences every time I'm in nature. But there are times when I round a corner, climb a hill, sit on a rock, lean against a tree or look up at the heavens and realize that I'm in God's sanctuary. In those moments my purpose changes from doing to being, silently letting God's love fill my heart. I pray that you experience God's love and peace this day and every day. I'm grateful for your prayers, your friendship and for sharing love with one another. God bless!

03/15/2025

I'll be at The Gallery at 1894 in Texarkana today from 11-4 for my Nature's Sanctuary exhibit. Each photo hanging on the wall has a QR code that that links to a brief description of how and why the photo was made. Here's an example. https://youtu.be/vtTDQ8bouoo
Hope you can join us! God bless!

“Thor's Hammer Hoodoo” - Bryce National ParkWe arrived at Bryce National park before sunrise, set up our equipment, and waited. The rising sun’s rays made it...

10/17/2024

This photo from the southern Utah trip will be the last one I'll post for a while. It's actually from the north rim of the Grand Canyon NP. The dying tree and its shadow caught my eye, especially in this unique natural setting. I turned 70 about two weeks before the trip and although I work at being healthy and active, there is no denying that I'm in the 4th quarter of my life. I'm not being morbid. I'm actually motivated to make each day meaningful, relationships loving and being intentional in having a positive witness and, hopefully, legacy. There's a beauty to this tree and we all have our beauty no matter where we are in life; embrace it, fulfill it, share it. Grateful to be on this journey with you. Hope you enjoy the pic. God bless!

10/13/2024

Northern Arizona scenes including one from the north rim of the Grand Canyon NP. The erosion of sun, wind and water opens the geological history of our land. We are a part of that ongoing history and have an important part as stewards of God's good earth.

On a different subject, I'm preaching at the 10:30 am worship service at 1st UMC, Hope, AR, 301 S Elm. Would love to have you join us in person or via streaming on Facebook. God bless!

10/07/2024

Processed some more images from Willis Creek slot canyon to share for the next few days. As I mentioned before, I believe a person could focus their entire visit to south Utah on walking through slot canyons and not be disappointed. There are folks who climb and rappel slot canyons for a very different kind of experience. Beautiful and other worldly landscapes. Hope you enjoy the pic. God bless!

09/23/2024

As I shared before, Bryce Canyon National Park was sensory overload for me. This panoramic view is an example of what I mean. The early morning sunlight deepened and brightened the colors so much that I actually had to tone them down for this sharing, otherwise you'd think I over processed the images. I kept the distant horizon in the photo to show the huge scale of size. On one hand I knew I was experiencing the results of ions of erosion and on the other hand it looked like I was viewing the ruins of an ancient city, and my imagination wondered what happened to its inhabitants. I take this opportunity to encourage all of you to personally experience our national parks, monuments historic sites and forests, and to support them. They are international destinations for many visitors and their benefits goes beyond economics. They encourage physical and emotional health, soothe troubled spirits and inspire our souls. Hope you enjoy the pic. God bless you!

08/01/2024

The past year was spent focusing on Becky's successful recovery from brain surgery. She is doing such much better and was able to complete a bucket list item for her, attending the Red Rocks performance of her favorite musical group, the Avett Bros. I'm slowly getting back into the rhythm of photography. On these hot summer days, this photo reminds me of cool summer evenings by the river. A boat is tied up and the distant lights of camp beckon. Hope you find a cool spot somewhere during these dog days of August. God bless!

12/13/2023

I know that New Year's eve is the time most folks reflect on the previous year's experiences but I felt that mood today as I was sorting some of my images. This is from September's Yosemite trip and the day I spent at Brodie State Park. Some of the scenes felt like a step back into my childhood and the low budget movies of the Saturday afternoon matinee. Hope you enjoy the pic. God bless!

11/11/2022

I'm excited to announce an upcoming exhibit in Little Rock at the Methodist Foundation of Arkansas, 601 Wellington Village Road, on December 2 - 4. Half of all proceeds will be given to the grant program of the Methodist Foundation. This wonderful program supports a wide variety of ministry such as local church food pantries, leadership development for clergy and laity and scholarships for college and seminary. The free admission exhibit will feature canvas wraps and photographic prints of all sizes as well as notecards. I'll share more information in future posts but, for now, please mark your calendars. I hope to see you there. God bless!