Photo Shoot: An Awful Experience or an "Awe-full" Experience? You decide.

Let me tell you that if there was any question in my mind about the power of opposition in this album (which there isn't), there most certainly is not now.

Likewise, if there was any question in my mind about the power of God and His desire for this album to move forward (which there isn't), there most certainly is not any trace now.

For at one point during the photo shoot, four basically complete strangers turned to me and openly asked, "What exactly did YOU do to make Satan so angry!?!"

After a small, very serious chuckle, my response was simply, "I survived my birth." 

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Here's how the story begins.

Actually, first, let me introduce you to a very key role in this story:  my amazing, beautiful and ever-so-talented photographer, Shanda Lynn Call.  She's a "down-to-earth creative mastermind" who's incredible to work with.  Super fun and inventive, she works hard, putting lots of time and thought into making each and every photo shoot completely unique and personal.  Click HERE to see more of her vast portfolio, but make sure you seek out my personal favorites: her BRIDAL/WEDDING and FAMILY shoots!!!  

Okay, so moving forward.  (Keep in mind that Shanda kept a very close eye on the weather ALL day today!  ALL day!!!  Nothing but blue skies after 5:00 in ALL the forecasts she read!  Retain that knowledge for later.)

I went and got my hair done by artist Syna Harris.  I met Syna at her home where she textured and curled and sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. Seriously, I've NEVER had sooooo much hairspray on my head at one time but, as we found out later, it's a WAY good thing I did.  Somewhat iconically and completely ironically, Shanda and I had asked her to give me some "wind-blown, beach waves".   She nailed it.  Seriously,  She was awesome.  (You'll find out the icon/ironic explanation later in this post.)

photo via iPhone

Then we drove.  Actually we PRAYED first and THEN made the LONG drive out to the location.  The Spiral Jetty is a beautiful man-made phenomonon (that reminds me of a gigantic cinnamon roll) made completely out of salt and sand and beautiful, naturally black rocks.  The area in this photo that looks like waves is actually salty sand with a few places where about 4 inches of water lay on top.

It was a tiny bit breezy with some amazing cloud coverage, which is actually typical for this particular location.  (Seriously.  Look at those clouds!  They are the stuff that photographer's DREAMS are made of!!!!)

Here are two samples of the beautiful, natural artwork that exists.

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Okay, so back to the story!!!  So Shanda and her crew set up on the beautiful breezy landscape...

...and I sat in the SUV as I got my make-up done by the multi-talented photo assistant/marketing director/model/nurse/etc./etc./etc. Marissa Birch who did such an awesome job!   Really.  Just you wait and see. (Side note: If Shanda were Batman, Marissa would be Robin!  She's the best little sidekick ever!)

  A few minutes later, the make-up was done.  And, the wind suddenly became stronger.  And, as Shanda told me later in the car, they watched as I stepped right out of the vehicle and at that exact moment my foot touched the ground, they could feel the storm explode as a terrible wind burned and howl as it began to blow.  And the clouds began to gather DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE JETTY!  See how the clouds are so perfect everywhere else!?!

So, I went down the 50 ft. black-rock ravine to reach the jetty and begin the shoot.

We got about 15-20 minutes worth of shooting in before the thunder rolled and the rain began pelting.  The wind was so strong that the equipment began to blow and all our sand-bagging and man-power just wasn't enough to hold it into place.  The crew shouted out to me to run back to the car before my hair, make-up and my clothes got drenched.  (Seriously.  That's the first and only time I've EVER worried about my hair, make-up and my clothes...)  I obeyed.  And I sat.

photo via iPhone

And sat there for, like, 15 minutes waiting helplessly for the storm to pass as my photographer and her crew were sprawled across the equipment hoping to save it.  I knew we technically only had about an hour of precious daylight left.  And so, I prayed.  I closed my eyes and prayed that we would get the shoot done and He would get the pictures He needed for this album.  And I opened my eyes just in time to see all four of the camera crew kneel down in prayer.  They were too far away (about 150 yards) to communicate with me or see me at all.  They couldn't have possibly known that I had been praying!  Seriously!  But as soon as they stood up, instead of clearing, it rained harder.  In fact, the rain turned into hail and the wind gusted harder than ever before as it pounded super hard for the span of about two minutes.  But then, miraculously, all of the sudden it stopped.  Everything.  Stopped.  Wind.  Rain.  Thunder.  Hail.  Everything honestly stopped.  Everything was still.  Absolutely still.  And the crew jumped up and began waving their arms at me and I jumped out of the car and ran down the ravine where, when we met up, we all looked over the "water" in the opposite direction and THIS is what we saw:

Do you SEE those clouds!?!  And the "water" (which, like I said before is actually salty sand with a little water in certain spots!?!) 

So we shot.  And got about 20 minutes of perfect calm on pink and lavendar and smokey blue "water" which made for some of the most incredible photos you've ever seen.  And they told me to QUICKLY change wardrobe, which I did.  And, as I did, the wind began to breeze and once again the clouds began to weep.  Knowing there wasn't much time, I didn't even bother to tuck my boots inside my pants as I quickly ran to get back into the "water" for a few more attempts.  Maybe the space of only about 2 1/2 minutes passed but, by this time, the wind was blowing so hard that the crew couldn't even hold the fabric screens up.  It swept the flip-flops right off the Marissa's feet and the equipment began to blow away and snap out of the crews hands but Shanda and the girls were absolutely dedicated, relentless, holding to their guns, braving what literally felt like a monsoon and shot until it was absolutely, positively impossible (a length of about 10 minutes) and then we knew we were done...

Our attempt to help hold down the reflector in the chaos that erupted RIGHT after the wardrobe change.

 ...so we high-tailed and ran through rocks and ankle deep water back to the equipment box, packed up everything and they carried the super-heavy equipment up the ravine and placed it outside of the SUV.  

By now, it was dusk: dark enough to not have enough natural light for any good shots.  My "windblown beach-wave hair" was a mass and the crew was physically worn.  All of the crew had been injured while packing the equipment in the storm:  one fell and scraped her back, one tore up her ankle pretty bad, one messed-up super-swollen toe, one was scratched up after having slipped on the wet rocks and hurt her back-end. But they were troopers.  And irony was not lost when, once the equipment was sitting by the SUV, we glanced up at the sky and the storm stopped completely.  Once again it was still.  Absolutely still.  Nothing.  At.  All.

We reluctantly climbed into the SUV and it was there that the girls turned to me and asked the question, "What exactly did YOU DO to make Satan so angry!?!"

During the ride home, Shanda scrolled through the photos-amazed at what footage was actually taken.  They turned out and they turned out great!  Nearly flawless.

Now, some might call this a simple coincidence.  Some might call it a freak of nature.  It can be viewed as "awful" or "aweful".  Those of us who actually endured this event, who witnessed the majesty and tempered the storm agreed upon this:  There is opposition in all things good.  Satan is there to stop each and every powerful work that can potentially positively influence people.  And he is everywhere.  BUT, Heavenly Father is also very much there in all things good and He is stronger.  We had to combine our faith and call upon the powers of God to make this happen.  Then, literally helplessly, we witnessed as He caused the tempest to blow hard enough to dismiss all darkness, clear out the impurities and let peace in long enough for His will to be done.  We got the photos He needed: the ones He saw fit to require.  Once again, He made all things possible.  And that was enough. And we had to trust Him.

Symbolically, I left some history of the day as I signed the Spiral Jetty guest book.

P.S.  TODAY, this SERIOUSLY showed up on Shanda's phone.  It is the forecast for YESTERDAY'S weather in precisely our location.  "Ironic" that, as closely as she kept track of the weather throughout the day, never once did anything of this caliber even show up remotely.  "Ironic" that it came through today when it should have come through yesterday,