Willson Cummer

I sense the Holy Spirit when I walk in the woods and feel the wind. It's there when I hear the sound of a brook, the cry of a red-tailed hawk, or feel the heat of the sun. When I photograph in nature, I know I can't possibly record the full extent of what I sense. But as I slow down and focus on the details of the natural world, I feel more closely connected to the Spirit. And when I look later at my photographs, I am reminded of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and encouraged to get outside and search for it once again. The Spirit is not far away.

I made the photograph of crocus last spring in my front yard. This past week, the same patch of crocus pushed up again, and I wondered which one was my model.

The dragonfly was discovered and identified by a junior counselor at a nature camp where I work in the summer. He said it had just broken free of its skin leaving the nymph stage and becoming an adult. It was wet when we found it, and could not fly until its wings had dried.

I work professionally as a photographer and also teach photography to children and adults, through Cazenovia College, near my home in Fayetteville, NY. One of my goals is to help people use their cameras to become more aware of the beauty of the world around them. I consider that beauty to be a sign of the Holy Spirit.

Willson Cummer
email: willson@CNYpix.com

website: www.CNYpix.com