While cleaning out my external hard drive and transferring my professional photos to another external hard drive I was reminded about what I love to do most…capture nature at it’s finest. Enjoy.

I feel a photo field trip coming on. I may have to leave Miss Sam at home…she tends to claim ownership of the camera when we go together. She doesn’t share well.

Went with a friend to the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens this week. Here are some of my favorite shots:

Can’t wait to see what inspires me next week.

There isn’t a day that comes and goes where I haven’t, at some point during that day, doubted and/or questioned my abilities to be a parent, teach, and counsel. It has been that way since God placed me in these positions without asking me first.Yet every day, God shows up and places his thumbprint on each of my doubts. Reminding me that he takes the smallest of individuals to accomplish His greatest tasks. Reminding me of not the part that I play in the lives of others, but the significant and dramatic part they play in my life.

And in these areas my doubts continue to be turned into extraordinary blessings.

Yet in one area of my life I have no doubts. I don’t question my abilities.

That area is photography.

God has given me a gift that He has yet to tell me His purpose for. I believe this is because I have no doubts about this gift and I don’t question my abilities regarding this gift. I believe it’s because of pride.

Psalm 10:11

He says to himself, “God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.”

There is an incompatibility between blind arrogance and the presence of God in our hearts. Proud people depend on themselves rather than on God. This causes God’s guiding influences to leave their lives.

When God’s presence is welcome, there is no room for pride because he makes us aware of our true selves.

Taken from The Life Application Study Bible

I believe that until I remove the pride I feel about my abilities behind a camera lens, God will never reveal His purpose for blessing me with such a gift.

These thoughts have been a long time brewing. The following actions have been well thought out over many, many months.

I am no longer going to pursue photography as a business for personal gain. When Danielle Batog Photography comes up for renewal November 27th, I am going to let it go.

Does this mean that I am walking away from behind my camera lens. Oh dear me, definitely not. It does mean however that I am walking away from the pride I take in thinking that I can make a personal profit from this gift God has given me.

I believe God has other adventures in store for me and my camera. I am uncertain what they may be but I am NOT uncertain that God will let me know where He wants me and my camera to go.

I am certain He isn’t going to ask first.

A Self Portrait

One of one hundred photos I caught with my camera.

One of one fishes I caught with my fishing pole.

Appropriately named “Ladyfish”.

To see the big one that got away CLICK HERE.

My BFF and I went on a photo field trip this morning. I have 164 photos to sort through and post on my photo blog. However, this particular one caught our interest.

Do you know what a Florida Cathead Biscuit is???

I thought you would never ask. Click here. (Barb….DO NOT click…LOL).

Gotta run, my creative juices are flowing

Running, not to the kitchen, but to get my hard copy photography portfolio updated. It has been two years since I have TOUCHED this particular project. I am soooooo ready to submerge myself into these creative waters.

Spent the morning working on my photo blog. It has taken me FOREVER to make a decision and then to learn how to pull it together. Thanks to Tasra Dawson for directing me to AutoFocus and the terrific template that Allan Cole has created for photography blogs.

So here it is dbphotos365 (set up as part of the photo challenge that Tasra has initiated). Now tomorrow’s computer challenge will be to get the link up on my professional photography blog Danielle Batog Photography.

Where else can you experience all these different colors of a sunset?Mr. John and I had dinner at our favorite restaurant last night ~ Crackers. From there we went to Ozello to sit by the water and watch the sunset.

These photos have not been re-touched except to add the borders and my signature logo.

The photos are also in the sequence in which they occurred.

This was the view behind us:

The following photos are the glow it cast on the view in front of us over the course of an hour:

Although it is raining at the moment, I hope to get Miss Sam out and about today to take more pictures of this beautiful area we call home.

Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

To enjoy a captivating capture of the results of the truly lazy days of summer (my kitchen as seen through my camera lens this morning) ~ click here ~.

To enjoy more Summer Stock Sunday participants visit Robin from Around the Island.