Moments of Providence Photography

05/31/2026

Busy Morning
Around the waterholes of Ethosa NP, Namibia, the morning starts with large flocks of guineafowl gathering to socialize. Their characteristic calls inform the bushveld that morning has arrived. Dust is kicked up as they chase each other or peck at unseen titbits in the sand among the white rocks. The white dust that catches the first rays of sunlight turns orange, giving the scene a wonderful, warm glow. Half an hour later, the large flock split up into family units that disappear into the surrounding grass and bush. This is a magical experience and well worth taking one's time to enjoy.

05/23/2026

Cathedral Valley
During my years at Helderberg College, there was a spot in the pine forests on the mountainside that we referred to as "the cathedral". A place where the sounds of civilization and the stresses of college life were far away, and one was surrounded by the sounds and quiet of nature.

I experienced something similar during our visit to Cathedral Valley, UT, with a few key differences: no trees, but spires of rock that resembled cathedrals; no shady nook among the trees, but grand vistas filled with dappled sunlight as clouds moved across a blue expanse; no rows of commercially planted pine trees, but the erratic natural placement of rock formations and sagebrush. And among the cathedral-like spires, we experienced the sounds and quiet of nature, drawing us closer to the Creator of it all.

05/22/2026

Sun Crowns the Temple of the Moon
Besides the interesting road (4x4 recommended) through Cathedral Valley, UT, the area is home to rock formations like the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. Both of these are within a mile of each other. Here I play with the contrast of a sunburst at the apex of the Temple of the Moon, while a watchful dragon-shaped cloud (with a little imagination) hovers nearby.

A number of other contrasts make this an interesting image for me. The cloud's water v***r contrasts with the rock, the blue sky contrasts with the red rock, the perceived size of the cloud contrasts with the perceived size of the rock, and the bright sun contrasts with the shadow side of the peak. The combination of symbolism, the subject's simplicity, and the array of contrasts make this a powerful image, in my opinion.

05/21/2026

Peter James & John
When I saw this rock outcrop of three figures following someone, my thoughts immediately jumped to Peter, James, and John, who followed Jesus and had their lives changed in unimaginable ways.

05/19/2026

Sculptures of Devil’s Garden
A little south of Escalante, UT, a set of rock formations is called Devil's Garden. We did not see him during our visit, although his presence was likely. We did see a variety of other red ochre rock-sculptured characters, which contrasted nicely with the passing rain-heavy clouds.

05/18/2026

Flowing Stone
Patterns in the walls of a slot canyon are shaped by rushing water over the ages. We get to see the effects and results, but thankfully, we seldom experience the process.

05/16/2026

05/16/2026

Teepees
Scattered across the South Coyote Buttes landscape are multicolored rock formations called teepees. Even though it is midday and the light is harsh, this image is interesting for the interplay of light and shadow in the mid-ground. For me, my eye wanders back and forth from the detail in the left foreground to the shadowed teepees. This tension keeps me locked in the image. It is not the kind of composition usually recommended that results in the eye resting on the main subject, but it has the eye (at least mine) continuously circling through the image. Tell me if this image works for you. Thank you in advance.

05/14/2026

Lone Tree Under Moonlight
I wanted something different for a much-photographed lone ponderosa pine tree at White Pocket, so we did it with moonlight. If you view it on a large screen, you will notice the stars throughout the sky as well as some reflected in the water pool.