Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
Psalms 32:1-2
When the well of inspiration seems to have tried up, how does one rediscover their voice? Sometime inspiration comes from with-in the very fabric of your own life. That was the case with this photoshoot.
As we enter the period of Lent and the Resurrection/Easter season, I have been drawn to the songs of John Michael Talbot. If you have never heard his music before, I urge you to download his work. It will provide your soul with a sensation of fulfillment which few other songs can do. While caught up listening to the music and lyrics that filled my car, I pasted a historic Catholic Church in San Juan Capistrano. This is when the muse hit.
Although I was raised Protestant, I have always found an attraction to the mystery and sanctity of the Catholic Church. In a day and age where one goes to church in flip-flops with a Starbucks Coffee in hand, I find that we have lost much of the reverence which one use to have when attending church.
Why do I have a fascination with the Catholic Church? Could it be because I had watched The Sound of Music over a 100 times by the age of 12? (It is still my favorite movie to this day!)
Maybe it is the beauty I find in the rituals. Like a dance, so fluid and graceful are the movement of the sacraments. There is an overwhelming feeling of respect and holiness which emanates from the very floors and ceiling of the church. There is comfort to our psyche with the procession of ceremony.
While many of the churches in Southern California are easily dated by their modern architecture, the Catholic churches seem to hold a timeless quality. It is this
enduring quality that I set out to capture.
Entering into the Catholic church I was keenly aware from the Stations of the Cross, confessional booth and wooden pews, that if a photo was taken with in here, it would be hard to recognize if the picture was taken today or 100 years ago. There is a quiet sanctity, reverence and changelessness to the church; an air that you apart of something superior, grander and more majestic then yourself.
While the modern Protestant churches that I am use to attending are filled with public alter calls, larger than life services and music, there is a quiet and demure diplay and essence still left within the Catholic Church service that is missing from my personal church experince.
My vision:
To create a photo shoot in which you would have difficulty placing the time period it was taken in.
I set out to create the story of a young woman who has come to God’s house as an act of contrition.
A timeless story told again and again through the ages.
What were her sins?
What drew her to her knees?
What was with in the heart of the woman who came before God?
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Proverbs 31:10
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge
Proverbs 1:7
Editing for me is part of the artistic journey I travel after every shoot. I am usually able to edit with a clear vision and purpose in mind. For the first time, I was completely torn between my editing choices. Black and White or colored photos? Both held a different voice. Within this conflict I decided to edit the photos in both voices. Both had a story to be told. It is within this post you can view the color edits. To see the full story behind this shoot and the black and white version, please view the previous blog post: Contrition (Part II Color)
Thank you to my beautiful model Val Schub.
Thank you for sharing with me about the Catholic faith and for executing
this shoot with such passion.