Conservative Art – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

Holding My Peace

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Peace Like A River ” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Ever since I was a kid people have advised me to “hold my peace”. It wasn’t until recently that I understood that this phrase didn’t necessarily mean shut up. Oh, I understand that’s what most people intend when they invoke the words but it means something different to me now. I hope that it’s going to mean something different for you too after this post. I realize that I have some readers that are not Christian. I can’t write this one from any other perspective. So, if you’re offended by Christianity then this post isn’t for you. You can skip this one. Unless of course, you’re tolerant enough to read it and try to gain something. I write a lot about peaceful moments and quiet time. The images that I share with you are normally places where I go to spend a few moments with Jesus Christ or in some cases something that makes me feel his presence in my life. It’s the things that “recharge my batteries”.

Christ is an endless supply of peace. We can be filled at any time. But the real challenge is staying full of peace in a world where your peace is under constant assault. I don’t have to provide examples, we all know where that stress comes from. Which brings me to my point. Being filled with peace and holding onto your peace might be two different things. Holding my peace now means something different to me. It means the ability to carry that peace throughout the day. I’m just as human as the next guy. There’s times when my peace battery is completely depleted. I’ve even gotten stressed out about being stressed out. The Apostle Paul said that he had to repent every day. But you know what? I’ve never really read where Jesus Christ refused to accept repentance. Don’t get me wrong, there will be a day when the age of grace closes and the day of vengeance will be at hand but not until after the rapture. Today we can simply come apart from the outside world and recharge as often as we need. And holding onto your peace gets easier with practice. Even if that means holding as long as you can and then running outside or into the next room to regain your grip on it. That grip will get stronger with exercise.

I hope you find this post and image to be an encouragement. Be blessed and have a great day.

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

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The Slow Turn

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Afternoon Reflections” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

For those who are familiar with the Glen Ferris Inn I assure you that I was on the same side of the river as the inn when I took the picture. It’s not until you look at a map or a satellite image of the three rivers area that you realize that the river takes a long but very sharp bend. Both the river and the road double back. It’s easy to lose perspective because the change is so gradual. Before we realize it we are traveling in the opposite direction.

For those who are not in the area here’s a view shot through the windshield of my wife’s vehicle.

The section of road looks straight but is slightly curved and then takes a sharper bend at the end of stretch.

Sometimes in life we might believe that we’re traveling in a certain direction when in reality we’re not. It’s important to be aware of the subtle changes in our course.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

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If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook or use the contact form on my website and tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page! 😊

In A Breath’s Space

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Downtime At Three Rivers” and is available as prints by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The big blue truck rolls to the foot of Gauley Mountain and coasts to stop at the wide spot near the three rivers. It’s cool day but not as cold as it has been. The Spring of 2018 was well under way and the redbud was in bloom. I sat for a while with the windows down just absorbing the fresh air after a long winter of being stuck in the house. It was one of those rare “no agendas” days when I can get out for a little while and enjoy the sunshine. Best of all, I get to take a breath. Most people over the age of 6 minutes probably consider themselves expert breathers. Most healthy people don’t even have to consciously think about filling their lungs with atmosphere and then letting it out again. But that’s just breathing. Taking a breath is something more. It’s less mechanical and more spiritual. It’s the difference between maintaining life and truly living. Our lives have purpose beyond our responsibilities of maintaining a daily existence. Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells us that the duty man is to keep God’s commandments but duty and purpose are two different things. Duty is the pathway to purpose. I believe that God has an individual purpose for each one of us but in general I believe that the purpose of mankind as a whole is to simply spend time with God. Before the fall of Adam God would come to him every day just to visit. The bible doesn’t really mention an agenda. There is no talk of thunder and lightning or thick clouds of smoke. Just a walk through the garden and the conversation between friends. No thou shalt or thou shalt nots. (Which are actually intended to get us back to the point where we can enjoy that friendship again. ) It was just friends hanging out.

To slow down and take a breath is to push back all the distractions of modern life and give space for that simple conversation between friends. The one without a wish list or complaining about all the bad times. You see, our friend desires that simple conversation as much as we do. But he’s not rude. He won’t barge in and demand your attention while you’re too busy. He won’t change the subject when you need to talk about the issues that he’s already been working to resolve. He simply waits for us to settle down and be ready in that “breath’s space”.

After a few minutes of peace and quiet at the three rivers area and a good conversation while snapping photos I’m ready to head towards the house. My friend assures me that He’s going to be close by even though the conversation is over for now and that we can pick up the conversation again anytime I’m ready. I fasten the seatbelt and the big blue truck starts to roll again towards home.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook or use the contact form on my website and tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page! 😊

Out Of The Darkness

Back and White Photography, encouragement

Hello Friends! For well over a year now I have posted at least once per day and to the best of my knowledge I have never recycled a picture. Technically that’s still true because tonight’s feature image is a new version of a previously published image. So I’ve titled the new version “Light At The End Of The Tunnel 2019”. If you would like to purchase a copy please use the contact instructions at the bottom of the bottom of the page.

Some days it feels like you’re on top of the world and nothing can go wrong. But then other days feel more like the world’s on top of you and nothing is working out according to the original vision. It’s going to be okay. The darkness won’t last forever.

Most of us don’t really know how many people are sending prayers on our behalf when troubles come. Especially if we’re busy just trying to survive the darkness. But trust me here, you have far more friends and family that believe in you than you’re aware of. Some of the dark places last a little longer than others but none of them are permanent dwelling places as long as you continue to push forward. Even as I write this I can here the pessimist’ s comments about the light being “a freight train heading your way “. Well, I can tell you that odds of encountering that oncoming train are greater for those who set up camp inside the tunnel than it is for those who continue to push towards the end. In fact, giving up before you reach the light is just about going to guarantee that train encounter so don’t give up! Keep making progress no matter what. Soon you will reach the light and the end of that dark place. And when you step outside of the tunnel remember that it takes some time for your eyes to readjust to the outside world again. There might even be a little pain but that won’t last either. As you rub your eyes and look around you’ll see how much beauty there is surrounding you again. With the darkness behind you and the fresh air filling your lungs I want you to know that we never had any doubts that you would make through.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

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Blood,Sweat And Steel

black and white photography, Uncategorized

Hello Friends! Tonight’s image is titled “Curves In Repetition” and if you want to purchase a copy please see the instructions at the bottom of the page.

When I think about workers laying down the tracks the image in my mind is of burly men with sledgehammers driving the steel. I can hear the hammer ring and feel the sweat of hard labor in the afternoon sun. The air is humid and thick with the smell of the creosote on the heavy wooden crossties. A civil engineer maintains a careful eye on the transit. Being off by a few inches now would mean missing the mark later. The crew works as single unit. Each takes his turn with the hammer in sequence with perfect timing. Somewhere along the way another team welds the sections together into a perfectly seamless pair of ribbons. Everything they do comes at price of aching muscles and stiff backs. The result is a web of steel, wood and concrete that stretches through mountains and valleys and across rivers in a way that adds romantic beauty to the landscape. They are artists and their medium is blood, sweat and steel.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

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If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Hughes Bridge & Some Thoughts About Being On The Wrong Road

Uncategorized

The lake at winter pool seems like a world long forgotten. The water birds leisurely take the place where boats once sped by pulling tubes full of laughing kids. The only sounds are that of lapping water and the occasional Blue Jay in the trees along the canyon walls. If not for the bridge it would be easy to believe that this was a world reclaimed by nature. Behind me, McKees Creek looks like a Martian landscape except for the road and bridge that is under water the rest of the year.

Once I returned my gaze to the main body of water and the bridge that takes Route 19 from Summerville to Mt. Nebo I began to think about how bridges symbolize transition. Here I stand on one shore looking at the device that would get me to the other side. But from this perspective the bridge is unreachable. If for some reason I needed to get to Mt. Nebo I couldn’t get there from here. The road that I’m standing on disappears beneath the deep lake. I would actually need to backtrack a few miles in order to reach the right road. I would have to admit that I was in the wrong place before I could get to where I needed to be. I could deny my error and complain that they put the bridge in the wrong place or that there should be a ferry to help people who are on the wrong path but the bridge was placed where it needed to be and there is no ferry. A way was made for me to use and in order to use it I am the one who needs make the adjustment. I would have to correct my own errors and get on the right road. The longer I delayed resolution the worse it get.

Over the years it was hard for me to learn to quickly admit when I was wrong and thereby avoid complicated entanglements that made it even harder to fix. It’s still something that I have to “fine tune” at times but it has been one of the most empowering life skills that I’ve gained. It’s also the skill that has given me the opportunity for the most progress in multiple areas of my life.

Antique Service Desk Bell — Ring this bell for Facebook

Recently, I’ve been made aware that many of my posts on Facebook are being buried in the feed. So, if you don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website at the bottom of theWelcome Page

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “ Hughes’s Bridge At Winter Pool”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

Antique Service Desk Bell in Black and White — Ring this bell to order prints or schedule portraits

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

Daydreams Of A Legend

black and white photography, digital art

About tonight’s feature image, this is the same clump of willow trees that I have been photographing in different seasons for almost a year. I processed several versions of the photos but decided that the blue of the selenium filter gave the best feeling of a cold winter day. The image title is simply “The Wading Willows In January“.

The spray from Kanawha Falls seems to freeze in the air on this cold January morning. The wading willows seem to be wandering out of the mists as if they are on their way back to shore. The scene takes on an otherworldly feel that’s right out of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. If not for the soft whine of the turbines belonging to the hydroelectric dam it would be easy to forget that Route 60 was just a few steps away. Still, I have to wonder if there’s a monster lurking in the icy depths below. Not some “Devil Fish” of folklore with tenticals such but a real world monster. Every body of water has a legendary fish that’s more than just the one that got away. In my area it’s usually a catfish that’s large enough to swallow a man whole that live at the base of dams and bridges. Occasionally someone sees a V shape in the water or spots one near the surface. I’ve met at least one person who showed me an expensive fishing pole designed for fishing the ocean surf that was snapped off at the base and the hook was pulled out straight. They say that when the water is up that the really big ones come looking for new hunting grounds around the stumps and logs that are inaccessible otherwise. It would be great to rig up a big fishing pole with just the right bait on a day like this. Perhaps I could build a small fire to keep warm and settle the monster catfish issue once and for all. However, the real world need to be on time for my day job pulls me away from the quest and the really big one gets away again.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “The Wading Willows In January ”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.