In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day

I was in Washington DC recently on a mission trip. While there, our group visited Ebenezer's Coffee House. This is an amazing place just a block away from

Union Station. It's walking distance from the Capital Building in a great historic district. This shop is part of the ministries of the National Community Church. While I stood in line (a line that I brought with me...) I noticed a book sitting on a shelf. In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson.

Mark is the Pastor at NCC. I was intrigued by the title and had to get my hands on it. Several of us left with our own copies that day. I highly recommend this book. Wow! I had to tell you about it even before I finished it. It is about thriving in times when opportunity looks like a lion ready to eat you for lunch. Amazing stuff.


I imagine you have times like that in your life as well. Lions seem to come at me from all corners and I might be missing on some amazing opportunities by ducking instead of confronting them head on. I want to challenge you to read this book and see for yourself what great things you are missing because they are disguised as lions.

Misty Farms

This is a beautiful place with wonderful people. Great for horse lovers and learners. They offer a horseback riding camp for kids to give them exposure to riding, knowledge about horses and give them some practical experience with taking care of horses. It's a very cool idea to provide an easy entry level to the world of horseback riding.

New Website

I've had the same web design on my main page for a long time. I was more than due for a renovation of my online presence.


The first phase in this renovation was the launch of Florida Wedding Photojournalism. I wanted to separate my wedding work and show my distinctive wedding style all on its own.


The second phase was moving my blog to the new www.mccrystalimage.net. Finding the right theme and design to work in was very important to me. I needed something clean and easy to navigate. I think the new blog does that well.

Finally, the main website needed a complete overhaul. I love the redesign process and finding a look that will communicate who I am and be a great showcase for all of my work. I like to think of myself as "old school" in a lot of ways. At the same time I'm very innovative and driven my challenges. That's a hard thing to communicate in a site design. Hopefully this new look will represent me well.

I would love the hear your feedback on the new looks. Please, drop me an e-mail or a comment on the blog.

Didona Family Portrait

I love portraits on the beach. It's a Florida classic and it gives me an excuse to be photographing out in nature. Family portraits are an art form in themselves. I love to see the family dynamics, relationships with parents and kids. This was a beautiful session with an extended family.

To see the entire portrait session, visit my proofing web page.

Here are a few of my favorites.

And a Slideshow...

TJ and Maggie's Wedding - Beautiful

Last weekend I had the privilege to photograph Maggie and TJ's wedding. What a beautiful couple. Their love for each other and for God were so evident throughout the entire wedding. Also, there was a wonderful sense of fun that ran throughout the entire day. Their friends added a great spice to everything with laughter and a certain joy of life.

To see the entire wedding's photographs, visit my proofing site.

Washington Monument

I found it difficult to see the monument without a framing element this time. Every time I looked at it there was something in the foreground that told a part of the story of who we are. Washington is such a beautiful and diverse place. Everywhere you look there seems to be contrasts of style, status, ethnicity and culture. I love it. If you haven't spent any time in Washington, make a special trip. It is well worth it.