Monday, January 30, 2012

Hand of God



"Lord, show me your peace, because I don't feel any in my heart this morning". These words were in my heart and on my mouth the morning of December 16th, after a series of events that morning had brought me down. Within 45 minutes of saying that prayer, this composition appeared within the viewfinder of my camera. As the bird flew into view, I rotated the camera from a horizontal hold to a vertical one. This was one of the first frames recorded. When I reviewed my shots and saw this, I was amazed and humbled. The distinct shape of a hand through the clouds validated my prayer, uttered in the quiet of my car.

I hope that this picture will help relieve your own sense of stress and remind you that you are part of a world that's more than just what we can see.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Sunrise



In the quiet of the hour or so leading up to a spectacular sunrise, I am studying it, attempting to learn all that I can and improve my instincts for exactly what sort of scene will play out before me. There's so much that I can't discern until it's playing out in front of me, but there's a great deal that I've developed a sense for. I know people may tire of my devotion to capturing the first rays of light over my home, but it won't stop me from capturing it. While I have always appreciated a good sunrise, at its root, it all goes back to a simple prayer said on the National Day of Prayer in 2003.

Life has a way of changing your perspective. Sometimes a single moment can define you for years to come. That was the case for me on the morning of May 1st, 2003. It came with the last prayer I heard my mother pray; "Lord, thank you for the sunshine, even though we can't see it. We know it's only because it's where it's needed most".
Two days after that prayer, clouds covered the bay at dawn, but the sun quickly burned through them and remained the whole day. A couple hours after that sunset, my mother's spirit left us, following the sun into eternity. The ten weeks that she battled Breast Cancer were cold and filled with snow, rain and gray skies.

That prayer made me respect sunrises and the power and hope that they bring to people. Out of my love and respect for my mother Doris, I committed to the preservation of inspirational dawns wherever I happen to be. I hope that at the very least, you can respect that a deeper meaning drives my passion to capture the waking skies over southern Maine and hopefully, one day beyond to other horizons. If you happen to know someone who could use the inspiration of a bold and vibrant sunrise, please consider investing in my work as a source of encouragement. Tell them I caught this one for them, and I hope that it will encourage them to draw near to God and find the strength to continue on, to see what the next sunrise holds for them.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

About Engine3Photo


In the Spring of 1980, the Old Orchard Beach Fire Department held a dedication ceremony. A bronze plaque was placed under the driver's side door of their new Mack CF pumper, designated Engine 3. The truck was dedicated to the memory of the Assistant Chief of the department from 1953 to 1963, William R. Murphy, Sr. It was also dedicated to his son, who shared his name. William R. Murphy, Jr served the department from 1958 to 1977, when he was lost to a heart attack after rescuing a dog that had fallen through the ice at Milliken Mills Pond. It seems to me that the skies above Old Orchard often hold the fires they spent years fighting, especially at sunrise.
My name is David Murphy. In 1977, the firefighters in Old Orchard Beach used to call me "Truck", both because I loved the fire trucks and because whenever I was in my dad's old International pickup, I was standing on the bench seat inches away from him. When I decided to try and make a name with my photography, I decided it would not be my own. For one, there are many photographers with the same name. More importantly to me, Engine3Photo represents my dedication of my work to my dad.
Since returning to a childhood appreciation of photography that my mother encouraged, I have been blessed with the opportunity to witness many spectacular sights in my home in Southern Maine. I challenge myself to capture and preserve them in such a manner that those who view my work feel like they could have been standing right beside me experiencing it for themselves.
In addition to my landscape and nature work, I have also practiced event photography through many concerts for my own portfolio and through gameday coverage for the Portland Pirates through regular season games in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 regular seasons, as well as playoff series against the Manchester Monarchs, Connecticut Whale and the eventual 2011 Calder Cup Champion Binghamton Senators.
In 2011, I also received my first award, a bronze award in the 2011 Epson International Pano Awards for my stitched panoramic composition of Casco Bay from Portland Headlight past Ram Island. The piece was titled "Doris' Dawn" in memory of my mother. When reflecting on the piece a week after the work was captured, I felt that she was given the opportunity to observe my life from Heaven. After seeing my struggles and the 4 week old grandson she never had the chance to interact with, I could almost here her in my mind saying "Lord, if ever you were going to paint the most beautiful sunrise I could ask or imagine, the son you gave me is down on those rocks, and he needs this". My sunrises are a collaboration with my Creator, an act of worship, and dedicated to the memory of my mother, who taught me how to truly appreciate them with a simple prayer. "Lord, thank you for the sunshine, even though we can't see it. We know that it's only because it's where it's needed most">

Monday, January 9, 2012

Restart coming next week

For years this blog has sat receiving very little TLC. That is about to change. In my efforts to turn my obvious passion for photography into the means by which I attempt to fulfill my role for providing a better life for my family, this blog will soon receive a restart. There is much I have to learn, but also some which I can teach. As experience is the best teacher, I will be making every effort to share some of what I have learned. This blog will be meant for the novice photographer/dreamer, at least to start. That and those who have taken an interest in me and my work, beginning with an introduction that will link back to my official site, Engine3Photo.com. Included will be a new look for the blog, as much as I can fashion, at least.
Have a great night, and don't lose any sleep over me...