daniel

From where I stand

2011-09-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

From where I stand

There is so much beauty in the world. Much of it goes unseen or at least unappreciated. There are places where it may be difficult or at least take time to find the beauty in a place. There are places that are so saturated with beauty that much of it may go unseen, or at least unappreciated.

I think of a trip to Point Lobos often called “The greatest meeting of land and sea.” There are many scenic vistas, around every corner something new to see and something new to marvel. In the midst of such grandeur some things may get lost, if you let them. They exist as a brushstroke of a greater masterpiece. Yet, when one takes time to examine these brushstrokes a whole new world emerges. When the focus is shifted from wide angle to macro, whole new beauties begin to emerge. As I sat there on that beautiful peninsula with the Pacific Ocean rolling before me with a small field of wildflowers as a foreground I began to look through a narrower lens and was enchanted by what I encountered.

Amongst this field of gold, illuminated and made even more golden by the descending sun, sat a purple flower. An alien in this yellow world: a perfect complement to this golden backdrop. This “ugly duckling” sat a bit taller and a bit bolder in her brilliant field of gold swaying in the cool evening breeze in homage to their resplendent visitor.

Sunrise in the Valley

2010-06-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning I got inspired at a quarter to five in the morning to go take some pictures. I had heard that it was going to be warm during the day and that often means that there is not very much fog in the morning. So when I woke up, awaken by nothing other than perhaps inspiration, I got out of bed to take a look at the sky. It was clear and a few stars were still visible. It seemed as though it would be a good day.

I threw on some clothes grabbed my cap packed up my camera gear(I think for future reference I should keep that packed just in case) snatched an apple and some water from the fridge and headed out in the wee hours of the morning to see if I could capture some light.

I headed out to Creekside Terrace to a point that I knew has a pretty good view of Salinas and the Valley and tried to find an ideal spot to capture the sun as it came out from over the hills. I waited around for a while and tried not to be worried about the rustling coming from the bushes around me.

And then it happened. The sun started to appear and the magical sky started to take the stage. Not a cloud in the sky and only a little fog in the valley. I captured the first few moments of the visible daylight and then hopped around trying to get as many different angles of the show as I could.

I think that I love sunrises a little bit more than I sunsets. Sunsets are beautiful, don't get me wrong, but there is just something inspiring in a sunrise. Maybe it the extra effort that it takes for me to get out of bed and experience it or maybe it's just a reminder of the hope that we all have. That even when the world seems dark that the sun comes each and every morning. I felt like church had started a little bit earlier that morning.

It was another reminder when I went to 'church', as we are in a summer study in Psalms. The first verse was from Psalm 19:1"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands."

You can check out the video here

Photobooth Fun

2010-05-31T16:06:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun at Jordan and Kristy's wedding with the Photobooth. The wedding and reception were beautiful and we wish the happy couple all the best in their new step in life. There was a great group of guests ready to have some fun and we had the opportunity to capture it. You can check out the pics from the event at www.danvans.com/moore

If you would like to add a some more fun to your next event with a Photobooth let us know.

A Sunday Hike

2010-04-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, we went for a Sunny Sunday afternoon hike with some friends out at Fort Ord Public Lands. It was a beautiful day for a hike and we had a good time. Just because you come to a dead end doesn't mean you are lost, it just means you wanted to see part of an area a second time.

FBC 30hr Famine

2010-04-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

I spent this past weekend with the senior high students from First Baptist and Salinas Valley Community Church starving for a good cause. We participated in the 30 Hour Famine to help raise awareness and money for children in Malawi. We also collected food from our community and delivered it Victory Mission to be distributed to those in need in Salinas.
We had great times of service, worship and little bit of fun as well.
Here is a slideshow of some of the events that took place.
Enjoy.

Simple Truth

2009-12-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a great group of volunteers and workers we were able to present Streets of Bethlehem to the community of Salinas. People come from far and wide each year to experience this wonderful presentation of the birth of Jesus. This year went pretty well and we were able to share the Gospel with all who passed through the gates.

This year we made a few changes and one of those was to have Jesus the grown adult come out at the end of the presentation and talk to the crowd about the rest of His story. It was a great addition to the story and we wondered why it took us so long to add such an integral part to the story.

I was working on putting together a recap video to show in church on Sunday and when I came across this picture it really struck me in a powerful way.

It got me to thinking about what it would have been like to listen to Jesus talk in person. People came from far and wide just to be near him and hear his voice. He wasn't flashy but simply spoke the truth in authority and love. There was nothing special about his appearance but people were still drawn to him. I wonder what it would have been like.

Simple Truth. That seems like an interesting concept in our culture and time. I think sometimes we get lost in everything the world has to offer. Even as Christians we get lost in all the church has to offer. Often we get lost in doing church and lose sight of what drew us there at the core. So many people have an undying love for things of this world: Sports teams, musical groups and even other people. Jeus offers us a dying love that reaches through the years to come straight to our hearts. I hope that we (I) can remember to keep that in focus and appreciate what a splendid gift we have been given. The great thing is that we are called to be "regifters" of this amazing love. Who are you going to share it with?

Here is the recap video.

Procrastinators Special: Family Portraits

2009-12-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hey all you procrastinators out there. If you have you been thinking about having a family portrait and Christmas card sent out this year there is still time, but it is running short. As a recovering member of the NAPPA (National Association of Professional Procrastinators of America) I want to extend an invitation to all those out there who have been thinking of having their family portrait done before the year is over.

I am offering a special package to help you spend the happy smiles of your family to all your friends and family who are curious what you have been up to and see how much you have grown over the past year.

The Procrastinator's Special includes:

~One hour family photo session.
~Custom editing and retouching of your images.
~A CD of images available for you to print or share as you see fit.
~A custom Christmas Card Website that you can share with all of your friends and family digitally.

*Additional prints and specialty items can be ordered but I cannot guarantee delivery prior to Christmas.

Here is a sample "Christmas Card Website":

All this for the Special price of $150. This is a very limited time offer and you need to make schedule a photo session by December 17th in order to guarantee delivery by Christmas.

If you have any questions feel free to give me a call or email.

Broom Family Portrait

2009-12-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here in California we have been very cold often dipping below 40 degrees! Of course I talked to mom today and the high there was nine! I guess that is something to look forward to as we will be heading back for Christmas later this month. Hopefully it heats up by then.

It is getting colder everyday and that means Christmas is getting closer. That means it is Christmas card season. I had the opportunity to shoot some portraits with the Broom ladies over the Thanksgiving break and wanted to post a couple samples to share with you all. I don't want to share all of them because you should be patient and wait for their Christmas card to come out later this month.

Here are a couple images to warm you eyes on this cool winter day.

this isn't your grandma's christmas card

2009-10-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

It's only October, but now is the perfect time to be thinking about Christmas. I know it seems early but before you know it you will be packing up the decorations and making new resolutions. If last year you made a resolution to get things done early so that you wouldn't feel so rushed then here is a great opportunity for you.

I want to present you with the new line of Christmas letters. This year your family can have website for people to visit. Loaded with pictures and information about your family and all the excitement that you have been a part of this past year.

The best part is that we are currently offering this service with all of our family portrait packages. Time is running out so its best to plan soon.

You can check out an example of a site that could be customed built just for your family. This one was built with the beutiful Beuving family. www.danvans.com/beuving

Beuving Family Portraits: Sneak Peek

2009-09-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

A while back I got the chance to have an afternoon of fun with the Beuving family. We headed out to the Fort Ord Public Lands and played in the fields for a while and got some great pics and then we headed down to the beach for a few more. It was a little breezy, which offered some challenges but we had a good time anyways. I am not totally finished editing the pics but I wanted to post a few just because they are too good to keep to myself. I hope you enjoy and I hope to post some more soon.

Showit Designers Insight Group

2009-08-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

I am down in Santa Barbara for a couple of days to meet with the guys from Showit and also some awesome designers to talk about all that is happening with Showit, how to use it more effectively and how to improve it for clients. It has been awesome to meet all these great guys and gain more knowledge about the software. We meet all day and then hang out in the evenings. Last night we went to the Canary hotel and hung out on the roof for a while before an amazing supper. We have been meeting and staying the night at MontJay which is DavidJays place which has awesome views and is a great place to stay.

Morning Walk

2009-08-07T16:11:00.001-07:00

With such wonderful temps yesterday and last night I slept with my window open, which is always a treat. One draw back is that it is often noisy in the morning with cars driving by and also the added noise from the planes practicing for the Air Show this weekend. So at 5:30 in the morning, which is slightly before my usual waking time, I decided to see if I could catch the sunrise. I took a look out the window and noticed it wasn't totally overcast, as is the common state of the atmosphere in the morning.

I grabbed my camera and a sausage mcmuffin and headed out to creekside terrace, which is part of the old Fort Ord. There is a great place to see all of Salinas from the top of the hill. There is even a bench to sit on. So I took off up the hill, enjoying the moonset, trying to get to the top before there was too much day. I got to the top and looked out on the valley. Unfortunately, the clouds in the distant prevented my from catching the full sunrise but it was still beautiful nonetheless.

I have also liked sunrises a little more than sunsets for some reason. I think that might be because it takes more effort to take one in. I love the morning light and the stillness that is there as well. There are still a lot of people in bed so it's quieter and I got to see a bunch of animals because other hikers had not scared them all off yet.

On the way back down the hill I took a new route which turned out to be pretty nice and I came around the backside in time to catch these shots. i love the light and the tall grass. There is just something about that color.

Roseanna and Hector Wedding

2009-07-28T09:49:00.001-07:00

I got the opportunity to shoot Rosanna and Hector's wedding a while back with Chuck from Ead's Photography. The wedding was held at Santa Rita school and afterwards we went out to the Creekbridge area to take some pictures. The late afternoon light was amazing and R and H were a blast to photograph because they had some great ideas and up to try new things. They rocked it like professional models. What a great combination for a photoshoot.

Elizabeth and Brad Wedding

2009-06-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at Elizabeth and Brad's wedding weekend. It was full of fun, good food, and lawn bowling. That was a new experience for me and just let me say watch your toes. I ended up taking a ball to the toe. It turned a little purple but seems to be doing better now. Here are a few pics from the weekend. They did some pics before the ceremony at a friends house on beautiful lake minnetonka. Spring is a lovely time to be outside in Minnesota.

Four wheel Fun

2009-06-04T15:18:00.001-07:00

While I was back home we got to have some fun with my Dad's new toy. Here are a couple of pics of my cousin Bethany and here family rockin' out on the four-wheeler. It's always good to give kids a need for speed!

Naomi and Kevins Wedding

2009-06-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

I had the privledge of traveling back to my homeland of South Dakota for my cousin's wedding. It was a great ceremony and reception. It was also fabulous to see relatives that I haven't seen in a few years. Here is a sample of some of the images I collected.

I love old chalkboards and couldn't pass up the opportunity to make use of it.

New Youth Page

2009-04-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

We just spent the afternoon getting the new youth page up on the First Baptist website. Go over and check it out.

More Bob Jones Trail

2009-04-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

Here is another pic I took during our trip to San Luis Obispo earlier this week. You can read about it below. I had some fun with photoshop and I am really happy with how this one turned out. Jordan and Kristy really seem to be having a good time. Oh the simple joy of swings.

Bob Jones Trail

2009-04-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning I got a random call from some friends to take a hike. I said yes and we headed down to San Luis Obispo to rewalk to Bob Jones Trail. It was a trip we had taken a few years earlier on Thanksgiving. That trip was a memorable one as we took off at breakneck speed in the warm sunshine. This trip was much more enjoyable as it was a bit cooler, a slower pace and we knew what was in store. Oh yeah, I wore appropriate shoes because I knew what to expect. It was an excellent day and I got to snap off a few pictures. I hope you enjoy and find yourself soon in a random adventure!
Here is a pic at Avila Beach:

Here is what can happen if you don't see people hiding in the bushes waiting to scare you:

Little League Photography

2009-04-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I got the opportunity to tag along with the chuck from Eads Photography to photograph a couple baseball games. It was great to see the pure excitement of these kids playing a game. The expressions on their faces were priceless. Here is a pic of me in action.

Photographic Endeavors

2009-04-06T23:29:00.001-07:00

I had the awesome opportunity to assist the Chuck from Ead's Photography at Les and Janet's wedding in Carmel a few weeks ago. This was an awesome experience and I look forward to many more opportunities to capture the special moments in the lives of many more people. Here are a few of the shots I took from that day. Congrats Les and Janet.

Exhibition at Habanero in Downtown Salinas

2009-04-06T23:15:00.000-07:00

I am honored to have my artwork featured at Habanero in downtown Salinas. If you haven't eaten there yet the food is amazing! If you are in the Salinas area and looking to enjoy some tasty food and delicious artwork stop by. The restaraunt is right next to maya theater on main street. Special thanks to Gregory Artist Studio for pullin this together and letting me showcase my paintings.

another year

2009-04-06T23:12:00.000-07:00

another year

I could taste winter in the air tonight
it settled in like dew in the evening
filling the air
with a crispness you could taste
It was a reminder of another year gone by
one by one

it’s been a dry year
a thin year
as the rings of life accumulate
I ponder
what this year will bring

how will I grow
how far will I reach
will I go deeper
will I go higher

each leaf carries a marker of its existence
each a fingerprint of life
as it falls it leaves my mark on this world

2009-04-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

room for growth

within each of us
there lies room for growth
room to fill voids
left vacant by events
by loss
by an emptiness

longing to be filled
to be made complete

we try and hide our weaknesses
protecting ourselves from attacks
from vulnerability

what we often don’t realize
is that we are hiding ourselves
from finding the piece that fills the hole
from finding the peace that fills the whole

Worship

2007-06-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Why do we worship?

I think that in most churches there has been some "discussion" over what worship is meant to be. After one of these so called discussions recently I began thinking that the problem was not in our worship as we had spent hours talking over. I think that the problem more readily lies in the worshipper rather than the worship. In our consumer culture we have become absorbed in the meeting of our own needs that we have become to the desire of God in worship. He calls us to come whole heartedly not just when we like a song. Though I recently attended a concert and noticed something that I really hadn't noticed before. It was a concert of a couple of bands from a different age and time but I still enjoyed many of there songs. I especially enjoyed the songs that I was very familiar with. It was fun to sing those songs to the top of my lungs and off-key and not really care. This brought me back to the worship "discussion" and I realized not for the first time but in a more tangible way that a similar things takes place in worship we are more engage by songs that we are familiar with. Unfortunately we often stop there and don't allow ourselves to be touched or taught new songs. I often wonder why we are so closed minded to new opportunities.