The Third Pillar – Fear of God

Disclosure: I am not a pastor, bible-scholar, or professor. I am an average Joe who has found a passion in life, the photographing of musicians. To do anything worthwhile, something that will stand the test of time, there must be a firm foundation upon which to build. This understanding came late in life for me.

What does the “Fear of God” mean? Here is my understanding in my words. “Fear of God” is an admiration of and deep respect for that which is greater than ourselves. This gives us the motive to align our words and actions so that we do not offend.

What does it have to do with photography? A tool is only beneficial to us if it is used correctly for the item it was designed to be utilized. We have all used a hard, solid object to further drive a nail when a hammer was not readily available and we did not want to go in search. Photography is a tool to capture and freeze a split second. At a future moment, we can look at that capture and remember. I have chosen the difficult environment of music photography. Moving subjects, impeding objects that can obscure, and lighting that does not best highlight the subject are the hurdles I must always overcome. Despite these challenges, my photography will always honor the musician(s) I have captured. I will never intentionally post a photograph that does otherwise. I will always respect those on stage even though I may not care for the type of music they play. I can only do this if I respect and am accountable to something greater than myself.