Sharing Shalom through Photography
Peace be with you
Sharing Shalom through Photography
Peace be with you
Marvin E Smith, Photographer
Shalom
The word "shalom" means peace in Hebrew. It is a word that has multiple layers and meanings. At a high level, it means peace with God, peace with each other, and peace with the creation. It is the latter that inspires my desire to showcase the creation. What is peace with nature? What role do we play if we are to be stewards of the creation?
What has impressed me about nature is the mission of each species to bring the next generation into the world. Whether a bird, a bear, or a bison, each has a mission for its young. They reproduce and prepare each offspring to play their part in the creation story. A parent will take on giants to protect their young. I have seen a red-winged blackbird attack an eagle that was too close to a nest. In my galleries, you will see examples of different species' parenting.
Someone once said birds sing in the morning to tell others they are still alive. Each species' purpose is to stay alive. Each species seems to have a natural enemy. And how to avoid that enemy is a daily task—one day at a time, a reason to sing in the morning.
In showcasing the creation through photography, I capture the beauty and rawness of nature. All images of wildlife are taken in the wild. I do make exceptions for non-profits that are doing great things to preserve and educate wildlife, like The Falconer.
Nature is out of balance. Something is amiss. I realized this truth at the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska. Standing on the upper deck of a cruise ship, I saw firsthand a glacier calving. In the moment's silence, I could hear the splash of falling ice hitting the water. Little by little, the glacier is melting. And the impact of this action will be felt by all humanity.
Wildlife has an unexpected enemy. We have blindsided them. We have entered the supply chain of their food supply. We have encroached on their living spaces. We miss the connectedness of things. A depleted supply of salmon impacts our indigenous people and causes food insecurity in the population of bears, eagles, and orcas. I hope the gallery images inspire a renewed stewardship of the earth. Shalom!
