bearing witness

It is hard for me to articulate what this photo means to me.  I have a very special place in my heart for this father and daughter pair, our pastor Sherrie's husband Tim and their profoundly disabled daughter Temma, who has been in her totally dependent condition all her twenty-plus years of life.

Bearing witness to Tim's love for Temma--expressed through both his art and music--has changed me in ways that I don't even know.  One thing that I DO know it has impacted is the way that I see through my viewfinder.  Tim's artwork, which can be seen in galleries and art museums in various parts of the U.S., has been a tender teacher to me, showing me that capturing the essence of a moment or of a person is both a holy enterprise and labor of love indeed.

As photographers, I think one of the greatest honors that we have is to bear witness to all that is around us and to capture those images--those moments of joy and sorrow, love and fear, mercy and injustice, the extraordinary and mundane.  It was my privilege to not just click the shutter for the photo above but also to have been a witness to the deep abiding love that flowed like an almost tangible current from Tim to Temma in that moment.

To whom or what are you bearing witness these days?  Show us; we'd love to bear witness with you.

Comments

[Marcie]

What a powerful and moving image.
Lately - I've been bearing witness to relationships and love...between dogs and children:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=925

And - between dogs themselves:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=928

[Elizabeth Harper]

It's a powerful photograph and a compelling look at life and how we live it. I spent the last hour or more totally lost or found depending on how you look at it in Tim's artwork and images. Thank you for sharing this. I found his flickr site by following a series of links.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timlowly/sets/72157606979634972/

[beth]

I'm bearing witness to my son turning 18 this week....being a senior in high school....and havng his entire world opening up a door for him, saying....."come on....we've been waiting for you"......"now go and do great things"


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29291473@N04/3835821694/

[georgia]

thank you for this post. it meant a lot after what i had planned on writing about today--something i bore witness to a couple of weeks ago--my loving and caring mother doing one of the most beautiful things i've ever known her to do.
http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2009/09/please-pray.html

[elizabeth]

Thank you for this post.

[djbeat]

what a profound artist. amazing

[Bryna Faye]

Thank you for sharing this. Photography is such a privilege to have as a passion and a skill. We really are lucky that it leads us toward so many adventures and intimate moments that inspire humanity. The potential is endless. Beautiful photograph!

[The Daily Reviewer]

Hi!

Congratulations! Your readers have submitted and voted for your blog at The Daily Reviewer. We compiled an exclusive list of the Top 100 Photography Blogs, and we are glad to let you know that your blog was included! You can see it at http://thedailyreviewer.com/top/photography/2

You can claim your Top 100 Blogs Award here : http://thedailyreviewer.com/pages/badges/photography

P.S. This is a one-time notice to let you know your blog was included in one of our Top 100 Blog categories. You might get notices if you are listed in two or more categories.

P.P.S. If for some reason you want your blog removed from our list, just send an email to angelina@thedailyreviewer.com with the subject line "REMOVE" and the link to your blog in the body of the message.

Cheers!

Angelina Mizaki
Selection Committee President
The Daily Reviewer
http://thedailyreviewer.com

[Marlena]

I'm bearing witness to the depth of wisdom and love in you.
The kind of love that calls people up to higher ground.

[PeckLorrie26]

Make your life time easier get the <a href="http://lowest-rate-loans.com/topics/home-loans">home loans</a> and all you need.