Shooting for Shiloh

In late summer, I was asked to take pictures by a friend of a friend for a home church plant in Columbus. I was honored by the request and was  both excited and nervous to be shooting for people that I didn’t know closely. It was a great experience getting to know the small group of members who had been attending the church that would later become known as Shiloh Hiawatha House.

I worked with Taylor, who founded the church, in selecting locations for the shoot. We picked both the Park of Roses here in Columbus and also their home church where the meet weekly for worship, music and teachings.

It was late summer and the bugs were out in force, but the group didn’t seem to mind as they pulled together some praise and worship songs so that I could capture them in their element. I hope you’ll agree, the locale and subject matter made for very impactful photographs. We found a great spot in the prairie where there was room for everyone but still some really nice backgrounds for the shots. Here are some additional photos from the park (slide show):

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I have to say that seeing how these pictures came out as I was editing them was one of the most gratifying feelings I’ve experienced in my short life as a photographer. I didn’t screw it up, haha! And Taylor was so excited as were other members of the church with the images. On top of that, they all chipped in to raise money for Design Outreach in exchange for my services and that money will go toward installing a water pump in a village in Haiti next year for hundreds without access to clean water. That’s what it’s all about. 

Some of the ladies were more than willing to pose for portraits as well, which is one of my favorite things. I have a Sony 50mm 1.8 and Sigma 30mm 1.4 that take some killer portrait shots. Click into the images for the full version.

After the trip to the park, we headed back to the house where they sang some more and had some teaching and conversation. The light was challenging and I was glad I brought along a shop light to help cast light on the ceiling. It also gave us a really nice, warm glow.

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The goal for these images was to help their fledgling church transform into something more official and to announce their church to the world. I hope you’ll agree that the final result came out great:

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Mother and Child

Welcome to LIFEBYMIKE Photography

Hey everybody – Mike here. I started this blog to express my love of photography. I’ve always liked taking pictures but I didn’t realize I had a passion and a knack for it until after I had my second son, Joshua. I got a nicer camera and started mastering all the ins and outs. Along the way I realized that, not only was I getting pretty good, but I also really enjoyed it. At this point my wife and two boys are probably tired of Dad taking the camera everywhere and slowing things down because “photography,” (not that I’m going to stop, haha), but this blog is my foray into the photography world beyond just the family vacation. You’ll still see pictures here of my wife and kids, no doubt, but I’d like to have the opportunity to capture your memories as well.

As for the name, my talent lies in finding beauty in the every day. There are so many times in my life where I have thought, “I wish I could bottle this memory and hold onto it forever,” and while time stops for no man, capturing the beautiful moments in life and preserving them through photographs is my passion and goal. So, I invite you to come see life through my lens, a LIFEBYMIKE.