Worshipping with a Camera: Other Nations; The Creatures Who Share This Planet With Us

By Gordon Illg and Cathy Illg

Henry Beston, a gifted writer from the last century, came up with this description of wildlife: "We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the Earth."

The animals who share this world with us have been here far longer than we have, and they can help us understand our relationship with other life forms, with the Earth, and with the Creator behind it all. Using powerful images and powerful words Worshipping With A Camera shows the readers they are part of an almost impossibly wonderful world. This book will leave the reader feeling inspired and more secure about their place in the universe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483535272

Book preview

Endorsements

Gordon and Cathy have put together a truly wonderful book. A celebration of life backed by powerful images and powerful words. An enchanting mixture of science, philosophy and spirit. I highly recommend it.

-Dewitt Jones

With their writing and their images, the Illgs express a profound recognition and reverence for the Universe that created and supports us all.

-Freeman Patterson

INTRODUCTION

Cathy and I have been professional nature photographers for more than 20 years, which is not long at all compared to some of the greats in the industry. During that time we have taken pictures of almost anything associated with the natural world. However, even with all that experience, I found myself at a loss for words—and that’s really saying something—when asked to describe our photographic specialty. With a vague wave of my hand toward a relatively untrammeled bit of natural habitat, I said, We specialize in that. It took me years to understand just what the heck I was talking about.

The presence of a single star, not to mention the universe, the Earth and life, is a miracle beyond anything in any mythology, and with our photography we praise the Creator behind it— whatever you conceive He, She or It to be. Our style of photography is something we call worshipping with a camera, and if we can call attention to the underlying miracle, we’ve done our job. National Geographic photographer and Outdoor Photographer columnist, Dewitt Jones, said, ...photography for me is not a vocation or an avocation...Photography for me is a spiritual practice. It’s a discipline that connects me more closely to the core of the universe and the core of my own being. And so it is for Cathy and I.

Many of you follow this same shooting philosophy, whether you give it the same name or not. You may photograph other things, but the natural world is your biggest source of inspiration. The reasons for this may be many and varied, but at least part of it is the fact that you, too, are captivated by the mystery and majesty of this tapestry we’ve been woven into. I see your photos posted on