(By Erik)
I was going through my old photos and came across this one. It's still my favorite.
To the left is a baptism that took place during a youth camp near St. Petersburg, Russia, in July 2002. Local church members and some visitors from a church in Tyler, Texas, ran the camp.
I had two cameras with me. One was my parents' old Pentax film camera. I gave that one to one of the Tyler folks who was wading into the water for the baptism. I stayed back with a small, 2 megapixel digital (it belonged to the Chronicle so I didn't want to risk getting it wet).
The guy who used my Pentax got the "typical" baptism shot. I saw this young Russian (at right) who also didn't want to wade all the way into the water, so I took a quick shot.
When the image popped up on the little LCD screen, I knew I had something good.
D'Anne Blume, one of the missionaries in St. Petersburg, said that the photo almost seemed to symbolize God looking down from heaven on the glorious rebirth of one of his children. (Those weren't her exact words, but it was three years ago!)
Sometimes an unintentional change of perspective can really help what otherwise would have looked like a typical baptism photo.
Not to say that baptism is by any means a "typical" event!
Click on the photo to view a slightly larger version if you'd like.
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2 comments:
Awesome photo!
Erik,
As a missionary in Togo, I get your updates and requests for news, but I finally got a glimse of your oul and face through your blog. Nice to meet you! You can meet my team and family at watchiharvest.com.
I really liked the picture. After seeing so many baptisms, sometimes we forget that the angels in heaven are rejoicing and the world is perplexed as new life in Christ is witnessed. Thanks for a fresh perspective.
The photo was even more interesting for me as the West Erwin congregation from Tyler, Texas, who ran the camp also oversees my family in Togo.
Keep up your good work!
Jeff Holland
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