Back in my high school days I became interested in photography. My school had photography as an elective, but I always took history electives instead, so I did what I always did when I wanted to know about something, I went to the public library and read everything they had on photography. I also saved my money and eventually bought a camera and tried out the things I had read about. After some time, I actually became a 
decent photographer, and even won a couple of 1st prizes at the contests the photography club at my school put on, even though I never joined the photography club because of sports.
Not too long after that I started having vision problems and could no longer focus my camera, and I gave up photography entirely in my early 20’s. Decades later, with the advent of self -focusing digital cameras, I started taking photos again. Am I a good photographer? No, not really, but with digital you can take lots of shots of the same thing, and even I get lucky sometimes.
Sometimes I get really lucky and I see a photo in my head that I can’t see with my eyes, just over… there. I take the photo and can’t wait to see it uploaded on my computer screen, and every time this happens I have something I can write about. Often those shots have elements that contain Biblical metaphors, sometimes they are glorious views of the Creation, and sometimes they just give me an idea. Whatever the case, photography is often a spiritual practice for me if, for no other reason that it requires me to try and notice what God has placed around me in His Creation; even in the city.
To be honest, most of my photos are just photos, nothing at all spectacular, but even then, I consider them a “win” of sorts because people like me who have such limited vision aren’t supposed to be taking pictures and often aren’t supposed to be walking around in the places I have to walk around to get some of them. The mere fact that God is still letting me do this is quite enough to bring me all the closer to Him.
Life Project Blog 
This is really awesome that you pursue your passion and never give up.
Well, I have given up on flying…
Love your unwillingness to give up on something you love. High fives.\0/
Thank you!
Pingback: What is giving up? | Just me being curious
Don, I would like to make you this month’s featured artist on http://burningheartsforgod.com
May I? It means allowing the post of your Photography piece and associated photo with it plus a bio and link to your website. I also invite you to submit a blog or blogs with links to your writing/posts often. They can be ones you’ve posted already on your site, new ones, or even excerpts from your teachings with the links to your site.
Thanks!
Margaret Montreuil
donmerritt5@gmail.com
I am really glad that you have found a way to indulge in this again.
I believe I am an artist of sorts. I can illustrate children’s stories, make posters for VBS, am pretty good at layout/composition, and I shoot pretty good pix with my camera. For 15 years i was a Photo-Journalist for several local newspapers. For more than 20 years a live theatre photographer. I often “see” great cinematic shots on TV and in movies I’m watching and silently congratulate the cinematographer. A lot of times, people will see a photo of mine and say, Wow, you have a great camera. I used to feel annoyed because THEY are using the exact camera as me. It’s NOT the camera but the eye of the of the one who holds it. But now I take it as a compliment, and know what I mean.
A spiritual gift…. not sure about that. But God has given me the ability to see/compose beauty and digitally record it. I’m thankful for that.
(Interestingly, I am also a good shot with a hand gun. My instructor says it’s because I’m a photographer. Go figure.)
God has surrounded us with beauty of all kinds, and to capture an image that brings it to others is an important thing to do to uplift all who can see it, for it’s a testimony to God’s glory.