A Flash from the Past

The following is an article written by Jennifer Jacoby-Smith for the Living Light News
www.livinglightnews.org

Photography dream comes into focus for former student

by Jennifer Jacoby-Smith

Many can recall an inspirational teacher from childhood. But few can say they in turn have inspired their teacher.
Six years ago Lisa Braun, her husband Roger and their three children returned to her hometown of Warman, Saskatchewan. While there, Braun picked up a calendar of prairie landscapes and noticed that several of the photographs were credited to Wayne Shiels.
Could this be her favourite teacher from grade six? she wondered. When she discovered Shiels still taught, she went to visit him and shared her own aspirations for photography, a long-time
hobby she was hoping to develop into more.
Shiels was impressed with her work and suggested she enter some of her photographs in a contest. “He really encouraged me,” says Braun. “He got my dream started.”
She received recognition for three of the five photos she entered, and since then her work has appeared in travel brochures and on local websites.
In 2006 Braun was asked by a local printing house to submit photos for a Saskatchewan calendar. This year, two calendars were designed with Braun’s photos, one featuring Scripture verses, a significant element for her.
Since becoming a Christian, Braun’s focus — in life and in photography — has changed. She sees her talent as a tool that God uses to bless others.
“In photography, people often ask me where I learned how to take photos and if I took classes and my answer is always, ‘God gave me a gift and I’m trying to nurture it.’ ” Her personal motto is “Capturing God’s beauty through photography.”
“God is everywhere in nature and I experience Him every time I’m out taking a photograph,” she shares.
Although Braun was raised in a Christian family, she rebelled and left home at age 15. “I made a lot of bad choices,” she admits.
Just before her senior year in high school she attended a Bible camp in northern Saskatchewan, and there she met God in a new way and committed her life to Jesus Christ. “I came to know who God really was. I found out that He was a God of joy. He wanted you to ... enjoy life.”
In her eye for a scenic prairie shot and in the everyday activities of life, Braun doesn’t believe events happen without purpose. “I don’t see anything as coincidence,” she explains. “It’s all God-incidence to me. Nothing is by chance or luck. He knows exactly what’s going to happen each second, each minute, and it’s all under His control.”
When her calendars were a few photos short, Braun’s elementary teacher came to mind and she decided to approach him. What she didn’t realize was how her request would impact Shiels, who had recently accepted Christ as his Saviour. Shiels had always believed in a Divine Creator. However, after enduring serious health problems and depression, he experienced what he calls “a darkness.” He recognized his need for the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and in 2006 he invited Jesus into his heart. “It is by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus that I am here,” he says.
“God gives us many gifts we are to use to glorify His name,” explains Shiels. “Lisa has shown me how photography can do this.”
Braun feels equally blessed. “A teacher who had inspired me, now years later tells me how much I have inspired him,” Braun says. “It blows me away!”
And just as teachers are encouraged when students realize their dreams, so years later Shiels marvels at how his former student’s photos continue to inspire him, and many others as well.
“It’s always been my dream but I never knew how to get started and I didn’t really believe enough in myself that I could do it,” Braun shares. “Well, now I know that I can ... but only with God’s help, never on my own.”
Shiels agrees. “It is rewarding to see Lisa’s passion and confidence grow,” he remarks. “She uses her God-given gift of photography to show God’s creation in ways that clearly speak to people.”



So that's the article. WOW! It continually amazes me how God works and moves around me and in me and through me to accomplish His Plan in and around my life. The following pictures were other fun photos that Wayne's daughter took for me and Wayne - they were fun to do. Great memories and keepsakes. I thank God for my teacher Mr. Wayne Shiels. :-) And for what He has done in Wayne's life and through his life and the impact he has had on so many students and adults. Thank you Wayne, my friend in Christ, I love you. May God bless you richly.

Article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix for Saturday Dec. 29/07

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix for Saturday Dec. 29/07

Each day of calendar an inspiration

Darlene Polachic, The StarPhoenix

Published: Saturday, December 29, 2007

If someone had told Lisa Braun when she was 15 that she would one day be back living in her hometown of Warman producing inspirational calendars, she would have laughed in scorn.

"My life was pretty messed up back then and I couldn't get away from Warman fast enough. I said I would never come back. But, never say never. God has a sense of humour."

Six years ago, Braun and her husband Roger and their children moved back to Warman, where Braun cares for her family and passionately pursues her gift for photography.

"It's not something I had training for," she says. "I know it is a gift from God. It isn't that I go out looking for pictures, or that I wait for hours for something to happen. God just seems to put me in the right place at the right time."

One example of that is an amazing photograph of a resting, snow-covered deer. "Roger and I were driving to the lake, when suddenly Roger stopped and said, 'Get out your camera.' I hadn't even noticed it, but there was a deer in the ditch with its back all covered with snow. It lay there the whole time I snapped away."

"Another time, we were going to Emma Lake for our anniversary. It was a beautiful fall day, and we were listening to praise and worship music as we drove, feeling like we were travelling with the angels. I said, 'It would be so cool, God, to see a bear right now.' We turned a corner and there was a black bear in the ditch eating berries."

Braun has loved photography since she was a child, but it was only when her youngest daughter started kindergarten that she began working at it seriously. A photographer friend who was booked to shoot a wedding and couldn't, asked if Lisa was interested in doing it. She's been doing wedding photography ever since.

"I don't have a studio," she says. "God's creation is my studio and interestingly enough, I have never yet had a wedding session rained out."

Lisa began taking photographs to Page One Printing in Saskatoon to have them made into cards which she offered for sale on the Thickwood Hills Studio Trail, a self-drive tour of artisan locations. "Page One asked if they could use some of my pictures for a Saskatchewan calendar they were producing. They ended up using six in the 2007 calendar which they sold to businesses for $2 a piece. The business could put their name and advertising information on the bottom and hand out the calendars to customers.

"I asked if I could sell the calendars, too. In three days, I sold 3,000 to about 14 businesses. I said, 'God, can it be this easy?'"

That gave Braun the idea to produce calendars of her own. She had Page One make 10,000 copies of a 2008 calendar containing 12 of her own prairie-themed photographs. In no time, she had sold every one. She decided to do a second calendar for 2008, this one an inspirational calendar with Bible verses superimposed on the photographs.

"This," she says, "is my heart. My heart is for God who gave me the gift. I love to capture what God created and bless others with it. I love putting scripture to photos."

It all happens very naturally. "When I'm taking a picture, certain words from a verse will pop into my mind. I'll already know when I'm setting up the photo exactly what verse I will use and where it will go. It is definitely God-inspired."

One such photo is of a red barn taken on a very frosty day. "I gave the duplicate prints to the son of the woman who used to live on the farm when I was a child. He picked one, and said, 'Mom would love to have a verse on it from your Bible.' I wondered if there was a verse in the Bible that mentions frost, so I looked in the concordance. Sure enough, Job 37:10 says: 'By the breath of God, frost is given.' Reading that gave me chills. I could just visualize God breathing on the earth, covering everything with hoar frost. I can never see frost again the same way."

Braun's calendars have become a popular item for fundraising. Churches, clubs, and schools buy them for $2 each (minimum of 100), imprint their own logo on the bottom, and sell them for whatever markup they want. Generally, Braun says, the calendars sell for $10 a piece.

"Osler Mission Chapel is building a new church and bought 500 to sell. Saskatoon Christian School also sells my calendars as a fundraiser."

Braun's 2008 calendars are available from her website: www.photographybylisabraun.blogspot.com or by email: lisaspics@sasktel.net.

Polachic is a freelance writer.

"WOW! I'm not used to this. This lady had given me a call, stating that she had seen my Inspirational calendar and thought it would make a good story. So, she came over and interviewed me. :-) It was fun! She was a wonderful lady and I enjoyed sharing with her. But there was a couple of things in this article that I felt I needed to clarify:

I never ever would have dreamed that someday my photographs would have been in a calendar, let alone my own calendar with my own photographs. I don't know if I would've 'laughed in scorn' as was written in the article but I definitely wouldn't have believed it at that point. I'm just continually amazed at what God has done in my life and around me. God is so good!

Even though I left home at age 15, I did remain in school in Warman until I graduated in 1987. My High School years were much better than my Junior High years although overall my school years weren't the worst. I had lots of friends and great teachers. I had a difficult upbringing but I didn't have any major issues with the town itself.

The Inspirational Calendar was the very first calendar I ever wanted to create because that was my passion. I love putting scripture to photos. About 15,000 calendars had been printed and OVER 10,000 calendars have been sold to date. Three different calendars were printed: Inspirational 2008, Prairie Scenes 2008 - both of these are filled with my photographs - and then a 2008 SK Scenes calendar which is Page One Printing's version with a variety of SK photographers including myself. So with all 3 of these calendars, about 15,000 or more had been printed originally. There are still more available to be sold. Scott's Parable Christian Store in Saskatoon has also been selling the Inspirational Calendar as well and will still have them available in the New Year.

Thanks for reading and God bless you all!
Lisa"

The Breath of God

I had come across this verse in the Bible when I was searching for the perfect verse. I found it! It was just the perfect verse for this photo.

When you think of the breath of God, God being over all the earth, and His breath covering it - it's as beautiful as the frost. Just think of that verse very deeply - "By the breath of God, frost is given." It gives me tingles of awe down my spine.

Up at the lake, this one particular winter the frost was just beautiful too. The trees and the roads were just white. In these pictures the frost was already beginning to come off but the winter wonderland is still incredibly vivid. The sky was so blue. These were taken first thing in the morning when the sun had just come up - that is when the sky is at it's bluest.
This cross is at the top of Memorial hill. It's always amazing to me the different colors of the sky. When you turn towards the sun, the colors are much whiter but in the other two pictures when I have my back to the sun, the colors of the sky are the richest blues. It makes pictures so unique.


I love it when God paints. His paintings are out of this world. His handiworks are done by His Hand alone and are the absolute best ever. I just can't seem to get enough of trying to capture the beauty that He displays for all creation to witness, to see. What an amazing God we have!

2007 SK Scenic Calendar

I'm so incredibly excited!! My prayers have been answered, a dream has come true, God has given me a desire of my heart!!! Get the picture yet?? :-)

I've always dreamed of having my pictures in a calendar and now they are! 6 of mine and God's photos were chosen to be shown in this 2007 SK Scenic Calendar. I say they're God's photos too because if He hadn't given me the gift of photography, then these photos wouldn't be in here in the first place.

The front page photo of the northern lights is not mine - it is a photo of Dennis Chamberlain who is a photographer in the Candle Lake are - his work is displayed at the Timberland Gallery at Candle Lake. His website is www.dennischamberlain.com

The yellow field is a photo that I took near Shellbrook, SK. Near Martins Lake is where I took the photo of the horseriders rounding up their cattle. Warman is featured in the calendar with the photo that I took of the frost with the red barn just on the west side of Warman across from the graveyard at the edge of town. The other photos that are featured in this calendar of the ones that I took, include ones taken at Memorial Lake, Emma Lake, and Christopher Lake.

I've sold over 2000 of these calendars - which was far beyond what I ever imagined. I've been offering them businesses in the area in bulk and to have their business advertised on the bottom of it, just like I did with Lisa's Pic's. This is something that we, myself and the printing company - Page One Digital in Saskatoon - would like to do on a continuing yearly basis. My dream is to take part in another SK calendar, but also to have an Inspirational Calendar with scripture verses from the Bible on each photo. That's the goal for a 2008 calendar, featuring my photos with scripture verses.

If you would like to order any calendars - I have a few left for 2007 - contact me anytime. You can already begin placing your orders for the 2008 calendars - we would like to have them completed by the end of April so that we can have them ready for distribution by the end of summer.

Thank you God for again giving me the desires of my heart. When we are doing things to bring you honor and glory, you are quick to anwer our prayers. Thank You! It is because of the gift you have given me, that I am able to in turn bless others with this gift. I am humbled by your generosity of so many blessings in my life and the people that you have brought into my life because of this gift of photography you have given to me. I thank you soooooo much for each and every person you have brought through my life. Bless them Father, be close to them, comfort them and draw them closer to You each day. I pray that each one of them comes to a personal relationship with You through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Additional Inspirational Prints

Here's a few more inspirational prints that I've done. When I get more done, I'll post them as well. So far I've had 2 sights that have shared these type of prints so this is the rest of them.

More Inspirational Prints

Here's a few more inspirational prints that have some of my favorite Bible verses on them. May they bless you today.

Inspirational Prints

It's always been my desire to praise God with my photos and now my dream is coming true. I've taken a number of my prints and have added favorite scripture verses to them. These are available as canvas prints, regular various size prints, greeting cards and inspirational pocket pass it on cards.

Inspirational Pocket Cards

Here is a sample of all the inspirational pocket cards (which are business card size) that I have available for sale. These are also available in greeting cards, various size prints and posters or canvas prints as well.

Please contact me for any additional information or to place an order.

Greeting Cards

Here are a sample of all the inspirational and regular greeting cards that I have available for sale so far. The inside is blank so that you are able to use them for any occasion. They are also available in various size prints or posters.

Please contact me for any additional info.

The Eagle

This was my first photo that I added scripture to and had printed onto canvas. I love this one! It's my favorite so far - it was very fitting for one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
I took this picture when I was in BC in February visiting my sister. I was there for a week. It was a wonderful time with her and the first time I had ever been on a plane out of the province. A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to go on a floater plane at Christopher Lake with some wonderful people but I had never been on a large plane. It was absolutely breathtaking!
BC has many eagles. I've seen them here in SK too and have taken pictures of them but I loved this one in the tree. It was just so fitting to add this verse from Isaiah. Putting the photo onto canvas just made the picture come alive.
A copy of this photographic canvas print is also hanging in my home church, Cornerstone Church, in Saskatoon displayed above the prayer altar in the sanctuary. It just speaks so clearly of the strength that we have in God, how when we "wait on the Lord we will soar on wings as eagles." What a picture of God's faithful strength that He gives us each day when we pray to Him. The strength, the power, the faith and trust that He gives us through prayer is like no other - no one can give us that but God. He did not put us on this earth to go through life alone, He is there with us each step of the way and our prayers to Him give us what we need each day to make it through the challenging and stressful times of life.

Various size prints of this are available for sale as well as canvas, blank greeting cards and inspirational pocket cards to pass on to encourage others. Please contact me for more info.

If you would like more information about Cornerstone Church, please check out the website at www.cornerstone-church.ca or contact them by email at cornerstone@sasktel.net

Foxy

This little one and I had a fun afternoon. We spent about 1 1/2 hours together and I shot a couple of rolls of film. I got a number of great shots and this one's my favorite. He posed oodles of times, and then it was like he said to me, "Okay lady, one more picture. How 'bout this one?" and he turned his head and looked right at me. Totally adorable! God's created so many animals for us to enjoy. I'll never forget this fella.

This framed photo, various size prints and blank greeting cards are available for sale. Please contact me for more info.

Snowy Deer

The picture of this fella was taken on Jan. 1/05 on our way up to Memorial Lake. He was sleeping in the tall grass during a snowstorm. My husband stopped on the road and while backing up told me to get my camera out. The sleepy deer put up his head and just watched me - didn't even budge. I got a couple of good shots of him before he sleepily stood up and jumped the fence and wandered away. I think God put him there just for me that morning. Beautiful! The kids were in awe. I was very thankful for being able to capture him so nicely.

This framed photo in barnwood, various size prints and blank greeting cards are available for sale. Please contact me for more info.