BP Photography

a simple shot right?
yes, it is. honestly, almost no post-editing had to be done and no preset has been applied. the shot was just void of color, but it makes it so much more beautiful, so poetic, and personal.
I stood on top of this mountain, at about 5,000 feet for nearly 30 minutes just taking in this beautiful and rare sight. In a video I took, you can see the fog rolling over the mountain and no sounds but the fog itself.
but the significant part about these shots is not only that it is so difficult to find, but the peace in the moment was like no other I have experienced. time was vacant and nothing mattered.
here I reflected on a very important verse of the Bible as well.
Psalm 46:10 says,
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

in this moment, up on top of this mountain, completely hidden by fog, the peace of God was present. the beauty of His nature and glory were magnified, even in this colorless scene. but to feel so small, to see nothing but white, feeling the fog around me, hearing it, smelling the air; God was more present than ever.
I won’t keep my speech long, but this place simply captivated me. and these pictures just don’t do it justice, but I knew I had to share them because of the importance they carried and to share this:
sometimes, even in the times we feel like running or giving up, especially in the times that we are clueless, be still. know that He is God. He is Jireh, He is I Am. He is the Lord of all, He is Yaweh. Be still and have enough faith to reach for Him, even when the world around you is burning. know that He is God and will completely surround you and in His midst, nothing can touch or separate you. in His light, no darkness can be found. in His arms, no pain can reach you. in His presence, nothing will come to you but peace, joy, and the tender love of the Father.
so be still. trust Him. know that He is God and shall be exalted.

silence

the great escape
the great perhaps;
away from any hate
or vengeful relapse.

the slow killer
determined to take,
slowly drowning you
in its vindictive lake.

silence will take and steal,
but like everything else
in moderation and understanding,
it brings peace and healing.

“Dreaming is what leads to good photographs. It is a journey without a destination, a start without an end.”

The backstory:
So for about 3 years I have wanted to take these photos. They are far from my best, but are definitely some of my all-time favorites.
I was on my way home from work at sunset, and I noticed how beautiful the moon was in the setting sky. Then, when I drove by this area, I rushed home, grabbed my camera, and drove back. I had to park on the side of the road and run about half a mile to get here, but it was so worth it.
The crazy part about this profession and art is that sometimes you have a subject in mind, but when you go to shoot at the location, your subject changes. I came to this spot to shoot the moon, but when I saw the sunset across the street, I instantly made that my focus.
And what I captured blew me away.
In many ways, for a photographer his or her camera is their second set of eyes. This is because what your eyes see can be very different from what your camera does. And in your camera, you can manipulate the entire scene in front of you. So, when I looked through the viewfinder to see these, I literally was at a loss for words.
But this story is not what makes these special to me.
The thing about this location is it is so difficult to be in this scene at this time. These pictures can only be captured once or twice a year because of the environment.
They have to be taken in the spring because of where the sun and moon are, you need clear skies, and you have a time zone of 10 minutes to be there. So long story short, you have to be there at the right time of year, perfect time of day, and with the right gear. You only have one chance to get the right pictures, and I am so glad I did.
See, this is the beauty of photography. Not merely the end result, but the story behind it. For me, this makes my work so much more appreciated to me because of what happened behind the scenes.

“I don’t want to be invisible, I just want to be left alone. The most beauty can be found in the hidden gems of the world. To find them, you have to seek them first. To see them, look where the spotlight isn’t.”