Slack-Lining at Its Finest.

Shot at 18mm, ISO 200, 1/1000sec. @ f/6.3

Carpinteria State Beach. We spent many summer mornings balancing on these slack-lines. One must reach a mental state somewhat similar to nirvana to become skillful at this activity. A distraction-free climate like the beach -with waves gently caressing the seashore - cultivates the concentration one needs in order to master the art of slack-lining.

Late-Night Entertainment

Shot on a Konica Minolta Dimage A2. Exposed for 1/20 sec (handheld) at f/3.5 and ISO 64 (Unedited).

Turkish Delight

     

The Summer of 2009 changed me forever. My family and I went on a missions trip to Antalya, Turkey with a program called IMPACT. Our purpose was to encourage the Christian Turks who are being persecuted and oppressed by the tyrannical Muslim government. The country is 99.9% Muslim, and 0.01% "Other"; Christians fall into the latter category. Turks are truly hostile to the Christians there; the pastor of the church we visited, called the Antalya Evangelical Church, has had numerous near-death experiences, such as a man walking right in the church with a knife, heading towards the pastors office. 

              
     That month long trip impacted my family and I so much, that we just had to go back. Sure enough, God provided a way and we returned for a month, during the summer of 2010. I cannot put into words the marvelous impact that those two missions trips had on my life. I will never forget them. 

     Here is a link to the flickr page of Melis, a beautiful Christian who was one of the first to befriend us, and is a great photographer :      http://www.flickr.com/photos/46017406@N05/

     Here's a video that gives some context to the situation in Antalya, and talks about the church: http://youtu.be/NibzGSm7hs8