Communion

This photo was taken during the wedding of my nephew as my father-in-law, Warren Tropf, also Jay's grandfather, administered communion to the newly-married couple. Warren is one of the most Godly and beloved people I've ever met.

The Couple

This shot was done at the wedding of my nephew, Jay Tropf, and his new wife Tammy. The couple looked great and the church was beautiful. It was most humbling to be able to photograph this event; although it's not often one gets the chance to fail or succeed in such a large manner!

The Bride

This is a shot from my most recent wedding.

Christmas Picture

This is Lois and me - the photo was done at the wedding of our nephew.

Wedding Collage

This collage was created in Photoshop. It required a little planning and some improvisation.

Heeding the Call

Young Prince Kaboo flees his tormentors through the Liberian jungle in 1891 in this statue on the Taylor University campus. After meeting a Taylor graduate upon his arrival at a rubber plantation on the coast, Kaboo became a Christian believer and took the name of a Fort Wayne, IN banker, Samuel Morris; he later went to school at Taylor, albeit for less than two years before his death from pneumonia in the spring of 1893. The Taylor community was so deeply moved by Morris' love for God and thirst for knowledge of the Holy Spirit that a large number of his classmates eventually took up the calling he had once envisioned - to return to Africa to share God's love. So miraculous was Morris' life and winsome his persona that his grave is the most visited site in the Lindenwood Cemetery on Fort Wayne's west side.

Tennis Player

OK, it's not the most creative name for a post but I like the shot.

Flying Finish

Here's Katie racing her team mate, Allie, and a girl from Winchester. It was the best race of her sophomore year. I had run the Chicago Marathon just two days before and in spite of my aching legs I ran along cheering for her.

Up The Hill

These are some of Katie's cross country team mates from last year during a meet at Prairie Creek in Muncie.

Available Light

This is one of my favorite shots at the conclusion of the group photos - we work toward just the couple at the end of the photos and this is one of the last shots; done by the windows using available light.

The Kiss ... The Rings

Another "double" exposure created in Photoshop.

The Kiss

I did not use flash on this shot - the flash came from the grandmother in the lower right of the frame. I still liked the effect and the shadows and made everything but the couple and the best man black and white.

Wedding Couple

This shot was done during our group photo section before the ceremony. I used two flashes in front and one behind - later I had to touch up some shadows on the brick wall.

Nuts About Fall

I caught this squirrel one day walking between buildings at Taylor. I can think of more comfortable ways to get a snack!

Tempting Fate, The Prequel

In this opening shot, Katie begins playing the piano and we see our young, recalcitrant (namely Peter) entering the room. Although she gives him a loud, "STOP!" he continues his interpretive dance as the music throbs.

Tempting Fate Part I

When last we left our heroes, Katie had just started playing the piano and Peter began his "dance with death."

Undaunted by her preliminary warning, his dance grew in intensity ...

Tempting Fate Part II

Peter continues his dance unabated as a flu-stricken Matthew watches from the couch.

Tempting Fate Part III

It was shortly after this moment that Katie turned around and chased him up the stairs. These days, Peter is the bigger one and Katie does the running!

Posing Without Knowing It

This girl was at our bible school in Ticimul.

Mayan Child with her Crayons

This is one of the children in Xochempich with her beloved crayons.

Sean Chookie

Here are two of my favorite guys - Matthew and our nephew Jay (Jared to us). Jay took Matthew on a go kart ride last Thanksgiving. The real fun came when it was time for him to pull his 6'2" frame from the machine.

Paul Patterson

Here is our Taylor basketball coach Paul Patterson at the start of the conference championship game two years ago during the National Anthem. I also cover my heart during the singing of that song - which is not just a precursor to the tip off, but a prayer that our nation will always be the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Twist and Turn

Here's more basketball in the Odle Gymnasium featuring my lights. This is Taylor's RJ Beucler.

Bridal Kiss

This is Evan and Heather Kittleman during their wedding several years ago. They wanted some black and white photos taken - which at that time I was able to do with film. They are both good friends and valued colleagues - as well as a beloved brother and sister in Christ.

Sweep

This is Taylor football player Tad Litwiler (spelling?) on during a game last year. He was wearing a mask to protect his eyes after being scratched in a game earlier in the season.

I Want to be Like Mike!

Yet another shot from my Mike Parsons collection - taken during his playing career at Taylor University.

Basketball

This was done during a game in the Odle Gymnasium two years ago using lights positioned in the corners and bounced from the ceiling. Someone once said that they didn't like armpits in basketball shots - interesting - basketball is a game in which people raise their hands above their heads at both ends of the court.

Happy Moment

Jeff Stassen holds a cell phone for his daughter Lauren Brady and his granddaughter Katherine. Katherine was talking to her father, Sean, who was with the Indiana National Guard in Afghanistan. Jeff has since been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. You are in our prayers.

Vacation Bible School

This is my buddy Ross DeLong waiting for the day's VBS to start.

Vacation Bible School

I'm not sure whether this little guy was playing for the camera or if he was enjoying a moment with a friend but it made for a great moment.

Vacation Bible School

This was one of the fun moments at last summer's Vacation Bible School at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Double Exposure

In the "Old Days" a double exposure was accomplished in the photographer's mind with two or three exposures on a single frame of film. I used to make sure the liner of my necktie was black so I could shield the lens. These days it is done in the photographer's mind but now uses Photoshop.

At The Ballgame

This was Matthew and me at the Indianapolis Indians last summer ... it was a bit warmer that night than it has been lately.

Using their Heads

This is a great shot ... for Cedarville. It seems so often that when I get the great action photo the arms and bodies are in such a position that the Taylor name is covered up. Oh, well. I'll keep shooting.

Going for the Interception

Taylor's Jeremy Lochner went for the interception of this pass during the game against William Penn on Saturday. The shot was taken across the field with my 300mm lens.

Running For His Life

Although I liked the fast shutter speed and the shallow depth of field used on this shot, the Taylor running back actually got brought down behind the line of scrimmage on this play.

Just Barely!

I didn't know for sure that I had this shot until I downloaded it after the game. The two defenders got called for running into the kicker but Taylor declined because the punt went nearly 50 yards.

Passenger Car

This passenger car at the Knightstown-to-Carthage railroad yard is well past its prime but still serves as a reminder of days gone by.

Handsome Kitty

They say the longer a person has a pet, the more alike they become. Submitted for your consideration ...

Samuel Morris

Samuel Morris was a student at Taylor University from 1891-1893. The son of a Liberian chieftain, Morris, also known as Prince Kaboo, was kidnapped by a rival tribe, severely beaten, and about to be executed when a bright light shined about him and a voice urged him to get up and run.

After surviving a nearly 30-mile trek through the African jungle to a plantation on the Liberian coast, he met American missionaries who taught him to read. As he was reading the bible one day, he came to the place in the New Testament book of Acts in which the Apostle Paul saw a bright light and heard a voice from heaven.

Determined to learn more about the Holy Spirit, Morris booked passage on a freighter bound for New York. Eventually, he found himself at Taylor University, which at that time was a struggling college in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

His thirst to know more about God, his search for the Holy Spirit, and his simple prayer life had such a profound effect upon his fellow students that after his premature death from pneumonia in the spring of 1893, many of his classmates became missionaries to finish the work Morris said he wanted to do.

A Boy and His Kitty

Matthew and Lucy have a, well, special relationship. Matthew loves to pick Lucy up, play with her, and occassionally chase her around the house. To her credit, Lucy does not run away when he approaches but sometimes rolls over on her back.

Ollie Hubbard

Ollie Hubbard was a distinguished faculty member at Taylor University - as well as a campus leader, a friend and beloved brother in Christ. After his diagnosis with terminal cancer in 2003, he carried himself with the grace and dignity we had all come to know and love him for.

During the Thanksgiving 2003 chapel service, Ollie said, in essence, that he did not fear death and that he looked forward to being with Christ.

I Love Lucy

This is our cat, Lucy. She has a lot of personality - for a cat. I grew up loving dogs but since Lois and I were married we have been a "cat" family. First was Miriam; then Nutmeg; followed by Tabby, Sammy and Blackie. Lucy is our most recent cat. The kids named her. We were in the CS Lewis motif at the time - Peter had a lizard named Caspian.

The Love of My Life

This is me with Lois - the photo (obviously not taken by me) was taken at the New Castle State Park in October of 2001 after we had taken our children on the Knightstown to Carthage train ride.

Lakeside Ohio Sunset

One of our favorite places in the world is Lakeside, Ohio. Lois' parents - Warren and Joan - retired there following his successful career as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. We try to get to the lake whenever we are there and there also happens to be a beautiful sunset. One of my favorite memories came from the time Lois and I took a long walk along the lake shore one evening. The winds were low and out of the south and the lake was the most calm I've ever seen it.

Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum

Former Taylor University President David Gyertson is not only a gifted academician, he's also pretty fair with a pair of sticks. Gyertson, who left Taylor this summer for a faculty post at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA, is also a much-loved brother in Christ.

May God bless and be with you as you continue to serve Him.

The Rotunda

The Rotunda of the United States Capitol Building was one of the more memorable sights our family enjoyed during our trip to Washington DC in 2004. It was on this spot that Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan laid in state.

The Role of the Church

This quote in the Holocaust Museum fascinated me. Apparently Hitler was concerned that opposition to his plans for a Final Solution might be opposed by churches unless there was something else going on to keep them busy.

Death Mask

This was one of the displays at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC.

The Empire State Building

This is the view from street level of the Empire State Building - perhaps the most recognizable New York City landmark since terrorists destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The day I visited it, the once proud building was nearly half vacant; it's plaster and paint crumbling.