My Journey

These last few weeks, I have been going through images as I am redesigning my web site. This afternoon, I located an image that I had taken out at the Jazz Ranch in Joseph Oregon in August 21st of 2003. That summer marked the beginning of my journey as a full time equine photographer.

It seems more like twenty years ago with so many miles between then and now. The photo was taken the first morning on the ranch as the sun began to rise. The photo was taken at 6:10 in the morning after a lightning storm during the night over in Idaho cause forest fires. The red haze was from the smoke in the air and wasn’t as apparent to the human eye as it was to my camera. I had been out since about 5:30 walking through the pasture where many of the broodmares were grazing with their foals.

This is one of my favorite photos taken during what was planned on a three month road journey before it turned into almost 8 months that took me through 37 states. It was during that trip that I realized that I was finally doing what my life was meant for. I met so many wonderful people during that trip who encouraged me to continue in the direction my life was leading me.

It was during this sunrise that I began to feel the dreams of my childhood coming together after another lifetime that had closed behind me. The sunrise always had a strong meaning for me as it was the promise of a new day. This day brought the rebirth of those dreams long ago and kindled a passion within my own heart to follow what seemed like an impossible dream and lifestyle.

I drove 33,000 miles during that 8 months following the hope of a new beginning. I don’t often title images but many due to the story behind them and those special moments that the image was actually recorded in are worthy of a name. This image is titled, “Old Passions and Dreams.” My child hood dreams experienced a new beginning as my heart become young again in hope of what could be. Hope was restored in the quiet moments of that breath taking sunrise as I was experiencing something very special…God restored my heart that day!

Old Passions and Dreams

In my first post, I want to share an image from the past and present. I will share thoughts about the future as well, and how these moments and images I have captured have been a blessing to me.

The following image is representative of an ending day with the beginning after a period of short darkness. Finding myself in that position in 2001, I wondered why my life had been what it had been, and was being so radically changed that I could not see into the darkness I was facing.  Horses have always been a passion for me, but at that time nothing seemed real any more. My faith was in question; the love I have for my family all that I had lived for was not there any more.

I have mentioned life is about choices and I was facing a very clear choice with no real idea of where I should go, or what I should do. I chose to see if a couple of verses I had held to for many years could be honestly tested. I had been pretty religious and even felt that I had a relationship with Christ through my faith. Somehow, facing the darkness alone was very uncomfortable. I wrote these verses on a card and carried them with me all the time. Proverbs 3:5-7.   ” 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”

The more I wanted to let everything go and just Trust the Lord, the more I questioned my ability to do so due to the fears I felt. I was at a place where it couldn’t get any darker.  Even if I failed, who would care? I made that commitment to not only try, but to believe that God would direct each step and would be in control of every detail. Fear did capture my attention now and then, but once I took that step just to believe and trust that God is true to His word, I gained strength to just trust again, to step out in faith again.

The part of the journey that I hope will encourage you is what happened after the darkness began to give way to the Son-rise in my heart. I left Texas to go on the road hoping to find my purpose and final direction in life on June 19, 2003. My plans were to travel and work a little. I had three jobs scheduled over that summer, so I should have plenty of time to think and pray. I ended up working most of the time that year, with a few weeks to visit friends; but instead of being three months, it turned into six months.

I found work and special people with every new day. The work came to me one day at a time. There was very little planned, yet I had more clients that I could have dreamed possible. Most of those clients became friends; some I haven’t seen since but have kept in contact with to some extent. I traveled almost 30,000 miles during that time. I didn’t have the time to think as I had thought I would. God wanted me to see and understand that I did have a purpose with the photography work that I do. I will gather images to share with stories of people I have met and shared moments with. I needed those six months to rebuild the passion that had been lost through the darkness of my divorce. This time it would not be from my chasing a dream, but by God leading me into the best dream possible… His plan for my life.

The image I am sharing was taken in 2005 after several years of working all over America, many times back and forth. For me, it represents the time that I came to accept my limitations to be in control and relaxed simply by “leaning not on my own understanding, but acknowledging God in all things.” Life was good again and my heart filled with a different passion for every moment that I lived. I hope you will be blessed and encouraged to take a walk down my life’s journey. It has been exciting, frightening and a blessing.

To those I call friends whom we have shared a few moments of our lives together, I want to humbly thank you for being a part of my life. My life is richer because of each one of you, both those in my past, present and I am sure to be in my future. May God grant you the desires of your heart and may you trust Him with all that you are. God bless you, Charles