by Sherry Peters
Owner, Sherry Peters Photography and Sacred Moments Collections

My love for capturing moments began long before I ever held a professional camera in my hands. I have always enjoyed journaling – taking pictures with words – as I would sit in our living room overlooking my garden or as I hid away in a coffee shop on a trip to the mountains. I loved to try and capture the beauty and significance I felt in life around me. Describing the moment and surroundings in words would help me remember later what I had experienced or felt - the beauty of creation, the people around me, the smells, the sounds – the sacred moments in life.

Along with writing, I have always loved photography and have been captivated by the extraordinary beauty that I see through the lens of my camera.  As our four daughters were growing up I loved capturing not only the different stages of their growth and development, but who they were becoming as young women. What I sensed during those years of journaling and taking pictures was that all moments, and even the most ordinary, are significant, and it is in those moments that God reveals Himself to us.

In the Fall of 2002 I decided to seriously develop myself as a photographer and began taking classes, reading anything I could get my hands on, and taking pictures of children and sports teams. I turned a significant corner when our family friend, David Edmonson, an outstanding, award-winning professional photographer, made the switch to digital photography.  When he came to take our family Christmas picture that year he encouraged my husband, Bob, to get me a professional digital camera for Christmas.  Bob generously did so, little knowing the new obsession he was encouraging in me.

In 2003, as our girls were getting older and moving into the college years, I began to seriously work toward a business in portraiture.  With David’s generous availability and encouragement and the support of my family I turned my focus to families, high school seniors, and eventually weddings. Taking portraits became a true love for me.  I felt privileged to be able to capture the beauty of a human soul through photography and to participate in some of the most memorable moments in life. 

As I developed the craft of taking portraits, I could not resist the urge to snap pictures of flowers in my garden, sunsets as we sat on the porch, front doors, benches, butterflies, clouds – you name it.  We often took family trips to the mountains and I took pictures of snow on an afternoon drive, mountain peaks off in the distance, aspens flickering in a cool breeze, wildflowers on a morning hike, pinecones clinging to an evergreen.

In early 2004, sitting at my computer one night, I began to study one of the images that I had taken of a field of snow up in the mountains in the late afternoon.  The sun was barely shining through the clouds as they parted and it cast a beautiful glow across that snow that took my breath away.  It had that serenely quiet beautiful quality that snow creates and I felt in awe, not only of the beauty of this creation, but in awe of the One who created it.   I could not help but think of the words from the Psalms, ”Blessed be the Lord God…who alone works wonders” from Psalms 72. Passionate to find a way to bring together this beautiful image with those words, I began designing the first Sacred Moments notecard.

I have continued since that late night in front of the computer to have a great desire to speak of our Creator in a beautiful way through the gift of photography.  When I look through the lens of my camera I see Him and the sacredness that He has woven into every moment of life.  I am grateful to have found a way to capture that moment and to honor Him as He reveals Himself through it.

It is my prayer that the pairing of beautiful images with words of truth will be a reminder, a sacred moment in the midst of your busy life, of His generous goodness, His constant presence, and His compassionate love for you.

To contact Sherry email: sherryp@bradburylane.com