PWTE Podcast Episode 053: Going Old School

In this episode of the Praying With The Eyes podcast, Pastor Doug Brauner, Senior Pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, muses about the good old days of black and white and film photography and the lessons they teach us about life.

PWTE Blog: Going Old School

Five Points of Comparison between Life and Film Photography

  1. Imperfections – Film photography is imperfect, much like life itself.
  2. Surprise – Surprise come in both the good and bad aspects of life as in film photography
  3. Slow Down – You cannot take pictures as fast with a film camera as with a digital camera. Film photography cause a person to slow down. For me, this an aspiration that I have in life, to slow down.
  4. Patience – Closely related to slowing down, film photography builds patience in the photographer. You have to wait to see the results. Patience is a much-needed quality in life today when we get everything when we want it.
  5. Risky – There is more risk in shooting film. You don’t know what you shot until you develop your film. Life is filled with risks.

Four Points of Comparison between Life and Black and White Photography

  1. Mystery – Black and white photography elevates mystery. The Christian faith is much about mystery.
  2. Use of Negative Space – Negative space is empty space in a photograph. Black and white photographs make great use of this empty space. We need more empty space in our lives for God to speak to us through his word.
  3. Emotions – Black and white photography excels at expressing emotions. Life is filled with emotions.
  4. Minimalism – By getting rid of color, black and white photography emphasizes what needs emphasis. We desire a life that reduces life to what we really need.

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

About Douglas Brauner

I'm a retired pastor, blogger, and photographer. (Oh, and did I mention husband and father?) I encourage people who wrestle with life to focus on Christ so that they experience hope and joy on life's treadmill.