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Carole J Pence Photography, LLC is a business that came to life during the 2020 pandemic. I began using social media to share some of the beauty and peace I experienced at twilight, dawn, and sunrise of Lake Superior in Marquette, Michigan. My mindset evolved from merely taking photographs to creating art.

Every day I get up with anticipation that the universe will provide me with some greater sense of meaning and insight into what is more significant than our lives and current existence. I ask God to show me that perfect picture so that I know everything is alright here on Earth and with the souls, I sense on the shores of Lake Superior. I capture the beauty in my images that touch people in ways that make them comment: breathtaking, majestic, beautiful; you nailed it, and please keep posting!

I woke up today filled with gratitude, hope, and love for all of you who have helped me be motivated to keep doing what I do. People are blessed knowing that despite a pandemic, we found new ways to cope and be healthy. I am grateful that my photographs touched so many lives these past three years. Thank you.

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Hallelujah

“Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

But you don’t really care for music, do you?

It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth

The minor falls, the major lifts

The baffled king composing Hallelujah—Leonard Cohen

We live in an odd Religious time. People are struggling with people of different faiths as much as they are within the world of Christianity. There is a division between denominations, accepting people's choices, their beliefs, and the church they choose or choose not to attend. Everyone is in disagreement about what Jesus would do. In reality, Jesus would go to the mountain and pray, seek guidance from God, and then follow that path to the cross—his ultimate sacrifice.

I've read and studied the bible, and Jesus didn’t preach in churches, synagogues, or temples like we preach in today. In Jesus' time, women weren't even allowed to worship in them with men. Jesus' circle included these women who could not worship and allowed them to work alongside him and minister to the people. The women knew and loved him and stayed by his cross as he died. So it's only fitting that the first person who saw him when he rose on Easter was Mary, a woman.

We grew up with teachings from our religion, depending on where we were born. These teachings are filtered through hashed-out agreements on what was not only truth but divine truth determined to be confirmed by a scholar or teacher having profound insight into faith.

Since Jesus didn't start the church, nor did he write the bible, we must recognize that our beliefs often come from an emotional reaction to what we like or do not like about the pastor, priest, and church elders.

Baptized as an infant and blessed with the gift of Grace. Faith was just part of the fabric of who I became. The community I was brought up in was Finnish Lutheran. I remember the Lutheran Church as very serious, with long boring sermons, fire, and damnation. I remember thinking if I "sinned," I'd go to hell, or it was because I sinned when something wrong happened. Today I know I don't have that much power to affect the things that happen in my life.

For the Christian Church, the Easter Season is a time of reflection, reaffirmation, and recommitment to what we believe as Christians—the word Hallelujah has brought people of all faiths together. Made famous by the Jewish writer Leonard Cohen and sung by artists worldwide, it took him seven years to compose, and then Hallelujah took on a life of its own. It's a word I often use as I walk in the morning at sunrise. I breathe in and out, and the word that comes to me is Hallelujah. Rest in Peace, Leonard Cohen.

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“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in Harmony" Mahatma Gandhi

Happiness is defined in the dictionary as “the quality or state of being happy. good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.” I do not find that most people talk about happiness; they are either happy or not. Some moments in life can be described as peaceful, content, and happy. But the moments of the dictionary’s description happen for me not when I am in my car running around the lake snapping a picture but when I am out of my car, walking in the cold, the snow, by the shores of Lake Superior capturing, seeing the universe unfold and living the experience, the picture.

Over the past three years, I’ve encountered people like me who are bundled up in the winter, walking the roads, the beaches, and the rocks day after day. They often share the heaviness in their heart and the pain in their soul. We stand there in the great outdoors, looking at the sky and its light unfolding, and seek the solace and peace that can only come from embracing a few moments early in the morning as dawn fades and the sun slowly rises to greet the day. Those moments, those few precious minutes as darkness fades and daylight awakes, you can feel the presence, the peace, and happiness.

When a person does this every day, it changes her. Three years of morning dawn and sunrise have profoundly changed me, my life, and my worldview. My dog and I walk daily no matter the weather: rain, sleet, snow, wind, storms, and warm days. Sometimes I hear the universe saying, breathe and wait for perfection.

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As I write this blog its almost Christmas. A time to celebrate those people we call family. To exchange cards, bakery, gifts and love with one another. The Season brings people together to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus in different ways.

Christmas is difficult for those who have recently lost a loved one, been put into a nursing facility, faced health or serious life decisions or are alone. It is one of those days that evoke so much emotion in us as we travel through this season. New Year's Eve, on the other hand, is a time for parties, celebrations and having joyful optimism for the upcoming new year.

As I am writing this blog I am with my family, sitting downstate looking at the snow that has started to accumulate here on the ground and know without leaving the house its windy and cold. In a few days, I head home, back to Lake Superior, Shadow and my opportunity to catch a few more God-Wink moments. I am one of the lucky ones that has a home to go to where I feel grateful for all that I have and have an opportunity to share my sunrise photography with you. Peace and Blessings Carole

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This fall photo has been an all-time best seller on cards, framed prints, and various-sized canvases. A picture, one of the dozens that day. You go home and look back on and realize, wow, that is so cool. It is one of those mystical, magical prints that makes one wonder. How do these mysterious and magical sunrise pictures appear?

Over the last two and a half years, I have seen all the colors and four seasons. I have been there every morning in my various attire. I have to visit earth, wind, and fire. There are days and moments when the sky is on fire with vibrant colors, and it is simply breathtaking. The stillness and serenity bring you back to the universe and creation reminders of bible verses, hymns, quotes from books, and my thoughts and ideas coming from my mind. Then there is the desert period, where you see but wonder what you believe. 

What came to me as I was writing this was Lyrics from Joni Mitchell, "I've looked at life from both sides now, From up and down and still somehow, It's life's illusion I recall, I really don't no life at all."
 

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I will admit that I have had a rough three months. Recovering from a triple bypass heart surgery took everything out of me. About seven days ago, my mind was clear, and I felt like I had recovered. Just like that the surgery and recovery were behind me. I exercise through the hospital's Cardiac Rehab Program and can continue for 18 weeks to build back my strength and muscles. My immune system is compromised, and I will take precautions not to get sick. 

My venue for ArtPrize 2022, Harmony Hall, was willing to hang my canvas, Lake Superior Sunrise, so even though I didn't go there, I could participate online through the artist group on Facebook. Lots of pros and cons to people's experiences, venues, and overall feelings about participating. I am just happy that I could showcase my picture. 

Social media has given me support, encouragement, and strength. I am grateful that the Covid project, which started March 18, 2020, as a way to find beauty and share with my social media partners the beauty of Lake Superior, my access to the world during the pandemic. This gratitude, endeavor, giving hope through Covid to many people through my photographs, has been more successful than I could have imagined. Throughout my recovery I was able to focus on my goal of getting back to the lake in the moring to be inspired by fall and winter. 
 

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March 13, 2020, was the date I had to acknowledge my age and accept that I was one of those people labeled vulnerable in a pandemic. It was shocking as age had never been a factor in my consulting work; if anything, it had fine-tuned my knowledge and skills!

I had already been taking pictures at dawn and sunrise, so it was a natural progression to commit to sharing something visually positive as lives drastically changed. I am sure most people were like me this would be for a few weeks or months, but now we are still learning how to deal with this new health threat two years later.

I have always sought spiritual connections. I loved talking about the world's possibilities beyond the world, and I went to daily Mass. Because of my strong faith, I could transition to doing my daily prayer and meditations at Lake Superior and gain the same sense of peace and serenity at sunrise. Sunrises are miraculous experiences, and not only have I learned to fine-tune my photography but also managed to gain insight into the power of the universe, my connection to the earth, my faith. The beauty, if only momentarily, means something more to me than just a beautiful picture. I often feel a soul or spiritual connection to the universe. In those few minutes in the morning, when I see some very stunning scenes, I connect with God through the silence, the waves, the wind, and the storms.   

Today, I have experienced eight seasons—found peace and solitude at the Lake called Superior and a way to share those moments with others through social media.

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A lot happens over the year, and sometimes our different seasons seem to last a lot longer than others. The most extended season appears to be a winter-type experience for those living in Michigan. Winter, this year, seems to come and go, and cold wintery weather has not been our usual experience. It has been wonderful to have clear roads and no snow in many parts of our State for people traveling. The Upper Peninsula, where I live, has not had the usual amount of snow and snow-covered roads that we come to expect at this time of year.

As we close out 2021 I am fortunate to go back through my year of pictures and see the beauty created by the universe and reflected in my photographs. Photography allows me to capture and share the beauty of Lake Superior with people around the world.
 

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The one thing about taking photographs in the morning is that the universe never lets one down. Every morning there are people, like me, who gather together on the shores of Lake Superior and gaze at the sky, anticipating when that first ray of light will appear. Whether it does or not doesn't matter. What matters is that we are there, excited at any glow of color in the sky or seeing the first sliver of the sun. Everyone smiles and greets each other. Shadow runs around chasing sticks and small dogs. Mostly he looks for his human friends who acknowledge him the same way every morning. Everyone feels happy at that moment. It's winter, cold, snow covers the ground, but there is still a patch of sand on the shore where we gather to let the universe capture each of our imaginations. Sometimes we talk about what we see; other times, we stand in awe of the beauty. The Ojibwe name for Lake Superior, gichi-gami, the "great sea," is the best description. However, Gitche Gumee, from the poem Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is what is most are familiar with. For me, the dawn of every new day captures that moment in time on the big sea.

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For photography, not the brilliant colors we had last year. Many sunrises were more subtle, with many red suns showing up amidst the haze of morning. Still beautiful, inspirational, and peaceful, just different. I always explored the morning with Bella, my Maltese, who crossed over the rainbow in July. I felt the loss, an emptiness as I walked the beach alone. She was part of my photography business and so enjoyed her morning walks until she died. Her ashes are in the lake we call Superior. 

A quote by Professor Ichak Adizes: "our life after our physical death is one of feeling, not thinking, not one of physical existence but of consciousness, after our physical demise, we continue to be alive through those whom we loved or hated or through those who loved or hated us. We are what we do to others and how they feel about it. And that is what is left alive after we physically depart. Life continues differently." 
The four seasons teach us that life continues; the beauty and colors of fall, as phenomenal as they are in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, can quickly turn white and beautiful as the snow covers the land. For me, life continues differently but somewhat the same. After being lonely for three weeks, I reached out to my Maltese lover's network and found a male Maltese puppy, that in August, I acquired and named him Shadow. He has taken time to learn his job but has adapted well to his new role.  

Photography, Lake Superior mornings, and all I have experienced in over two years of going to the lake have been rewarding. People tell me they look forward to my pictures in the morning. It's a little more than taking pictures for me. C. Austin Mills, In the Garden, speaks for me and how I feel. "And he walks with me, and he talks with me, And he tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there none has ever known." 
 

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This month I listened to two audiobooks by Eric Metaxas, the first one titled “Martin Luther”, the other “Bonhoeffer”. Both main characters were coming into their religious fervor through prayer and devotion by reading and meditating on the Bible. Martin Luther lived in fear of execution, which never happened and Bonhoeffer was executed two weeks before the end of the war for his crime of plotting to kill Adolph Hitler and end the evil of Nazi Germany. Eric Metaxas, an excellent researcher, writer, and storyteller is an author I highly recommend. Both books taught me that you can't just walk the walk - you must walk it prayerfully and you can't just read the Bible - you must do it prayerfully, believing that God is speaking to you through his Word.

In Upper Michigan, the weather teases us with a few warm days in April, lots of cold and freezing temperatures in May. All of a sudden, when we get into June summer comes and stays for a while. It's nice to see more people walking the trails, riding their bikes, visiting with friends in outside cafes, and braving the freezing waters of Lake Superior. I have found that the most profound pictures are taken at dawn and it is during this time of solitude where you experience a sense of awe and wonder as the morning is quiet with only the waves gently lapping at the shore, and the choir of birds are joyfully singing. It is at thee moments I feel blessed to have found what it means to be saved by grace.

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I love to learn. I take classes on various online platforms, and my current go-to is masterclass.com. I learned another way of thinking about creativity, memories, and creating fiction with author Amy Tan. Her virtual modules and unique training style resonated with me. She gave me a new perspective on how writing and reality coincide with memories triggered by our thoughts and actions. One can use this knowledge and learning to write stories and books.

Currently, I am taking Science Fiction writer M.K. Jemisin class which has introduced me to very different concepts called world-building. Science fiction creates another world that can have an infrastructure, a physical world, and inhabitants.

Where does photography fit into our creativity and imagination? The result is a photograph that the photographer believes captures the perfect picture of a setting, time, and place. What the picture doesn't show is the process that taps into the photographer's mind. How do I see the clouds, the rays seeping through those clouds, the sun rising, the colors and changes that change by the minute? What does my mind see that the photograph can't express? I like the concept of world-building because it is what I have been doing. I take a picture that I believe is a perfect moment.  I cannot show in that photograph my mind and imagination of what I am seeing that gives me a sense of peace and joy. The natural gift of photography has allowed me to learn to be creative and imagine life in a way that my world never experienced before.

30A80929-71ED-451B-83E2-01BBE48E847A  On Tuesday we experienced the Winter Solstice which is the shortest day of the year and the arrival of winter. My ancestors are from Finland and my recent DNA test confirmed that 90% of my genetics come from Finland. I grew up in a small town in Upper Michigan, a Finnish community where people often spoke Finnish. While I don't speak Finnish, I enjoyed listening to my mother and her friends revert to speaking Finnish when they didn't want me to know what they were talking about. My grandmother Mary never learned English and my mother, Vienna learned English when she went to school. When I was young, I asked my mother why she didn't teach me Finnish and she said I was an American.

In ancient times, Finland celebrated the Winter Solstice with countless different tribes across the northern hemisphere. People's lives were connected to the land and the change of seasons. Winter Solstice was an important event as it's when the sun is as far from the earth as possible and thus, this day meant that each day forward the fun would get closer to the planet. The Finns celebrate Winter Solstice with festivals, family feasting, singing and dancing around the fire. When I visited Finland a few years ago, I felt very much at home listening to the language, drinking strong coffee, and every house having a sauna. Growing up, my family heated the sauna every Wednesday and Saturday. A tradition that the Finns brought to the Upper Peninsula.

As we move toward Christmas, I wanted to take this opportunity to say Thank You for your support of my business and I wish you and your family a healthy Christmas and New Year.

Carole J. Pence Photography is pleased with this new partnership and I am always happy to received your thoughts and suggestions. You can still contact me directly at 906-228-2972 to discuss what you are looking for now or in the future. May the blessings of the season be with you through this 2020 Holiday Season. D35992AE-EE9F-4E0C-9736-89416AC57BD1

There is beauty surrounding us everyday. Having social media and friends to share my little bit of the world is a blessing in my life. I live with my 13 year old Maltese, Bella. Bella doesn't hear very well but, her visual sense and stamina keep up. Enjoy the outdoors and the sights, sounds, and experiences that are free for both you and me. 92ED1A40-DA6C-4AD9-860A-E002B98CC7E6

The seasonal change just seemed to be the right time for a new opportunity and partnership. Carole J. Pence Photography is excited about this unique opportunity. My photographs will be on display on October 5th through the holidays. D35992AE-EE9F-4E0C-9736-89416AC57BD1

One morning I saw light shapes floating and dancing on the waves. This begged the question of whether or not souls really do transcend a portal in time and dance in the shimmering light reflected on the water.

In my attempt to be grateful I take photographs designed by a Universe much more creative than I could have even imagined. 37D08E76-B9B6-4F7B-8F11-CA083CD33A2C

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