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February 24, 2015 By Ryan Nelson | 16 Comments

30 Pictures from Washington’s Big Four Ice Caves

Outdoor enthusiasts flock to the Pacific Northwest for its scenic hikes and natural beauty. For Faithlife’s designers, the mountains and trails surrounding Bellingham, Washington offer a treasure trove of photo ops.

Stunning photos like these can only come from real people surrounded by real beauty. That’s why our designers have taken trips throughout the Pacific Northwest to bring back beautiful pictures of God’s creation.

Here are 30 amazing photos taken from Washington state’s Big Four Ice Caves this winter:

icecaves1 — We didn’t get much snow in Bellingham this winter, but the mountains surrounding us were beautifully draped in white.

icecaves2 — The trail leading to the Big Four Ice Caves is serene.

icecaves3 — Caleb Ralston says this was one of his favorite trips he’s taken for Faithlife.

icecaves4 — Anthony Fiorillo enjoyed the opportunity to be in front of the camera, not just behind it.

icecaves5 — You can’t tell in most of the shots, but Josh Gray says rain was dumping on them the entire trip. “It’s always the struggle with the Pacific Northwest, and it only gets worse in winter.”

icecaves6 — Apart from the trail itself, the natural beauty feels undisturbed.

icecaves7 — The fog sinks into the trees.

icecaves8 — Anthony brought his climbing gear, knowing what awaited him at the end of the trail.

icecaves9 — Can you tell if this is an old-growth or a young-growth forest?

icecaves10 — Moss and lichen clings to the trees and rocks.

icecaves11 — The team takes a wide range of shots for our design teams to work with.

icecaves12 — As the cave approaches, ice covers the trail.

icecaves13 — Water freezes on its way down the cliff.

icecaves14 — The ice caves have unique textures and colors up close.

icecaves15 — Anthony peers into the cave and the waterfall beyond.

icecaves16 — Josh Gray says massive pieces of ice could fall at any moment in the cave, so even as they posed for shots, our designers had to be cautious.

icecaves17 — The rush of the waterfall echoes through the cave, as frigid water drips from the ceiling.

icecaves18 — Caleb admires the powerful waterfall.

icecaves19 — A misty veil surrounds the waterfall.

icecaves20 — Light illuminates the beauty of the cave.

icecaves21 — Water constantly dripped from the frozen roof.

icecaves22 — As the snow and ice compresses, it reflects light differently.

icecaves23 — Anthony breaks out the climbing gear.

icecaves24 — Josh Gray says pictures can never do this waterfall justice.

icecaves25 — This is the same waterfall, from the top of the ice cave.

icecaves26 — This mountain stream cuts through the forest trail.

icecaves27 — Lots of trails in the Pacific Northwest require crossing streams like this.

icecaves28 — The ice cave from a distance.

icecaves29 — Caleb’s Logos 6 launch-stache became a beard.

icecaves30 — The Pacific Northwest is full of beautiful scenery like this.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, many of our designers are outdoor fanatics. When they find themselves in a particularly beautiful or interesting setting, they sometimes return to take pictures for Faithlife to use.

Anthony Fiorillo (wearing the green coat in the pictures above) says, “These trips are a great change of pace from the office. When we have a slower week, we can get out and shoot beautiful places like this. It helps us create a large database of great stock photography for the teams pushing out our amazing media.”

When I asked how the team decides where to go, Josh Gray said, “We picked the Big Four Ice Caves because they are within range for a day trip. They’re surrounded by beautiful mountains and the ice caves themselves are breathtaking. At the end of the cave is a massive waterfall—pictures don’t do it justice.”

He went on to say, “We try to incorporate themes into our photo shoots. You’ll notice some shots of Anthony ice climbing—those could be arranged into a theme like overcoming adversity.”

When you own Logos Bronze or higher, you get Logos Stock Media, which includes hundreds of beautiful stock photos taken by Faithlife’s designers on trips like these.

Get Logos now. Or learn more about Logos Stock Media.

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Want to see more photos of the Pacific Northwest? Check out some of the prettiest hikes in the Pacific Northwest.

October 22, 2014 By Ryan Nelson | 13 Comments

23 Photos Proving That the Pacific Northwest Is Best

Faithlife’s design team has been known to roam the Pacific Northwest mountains. They’ve been spotted everywhere from Mt. Baker, Washington to Whistler, British Columbia.

It’s no wonder they spend time up there: the Pacific Northwest is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Faithlife gives each team of employees a small monthly budget to take a break from work and spend time together. That’s right, they get paid to take gorgeous trips like this together.

The idea behind the budget is that it motivates people to bond outside of work. It seems to be doing a pretty great job.

Derek Schrock, a Faithlife designer, says, “Hanging out together at the Park Butte fire lookout for the night was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Our manager, Nick Kelly, is a pretty huge outdoor enthusiast, so we always do fun team activities like sailing, kayaking, and snowshoeing.”

Schrock says, “These trips unite us as a team and create friendships that make work more enjoyable. Personally, my favorite part of working at Faithlife is my team, and these trips have been a big part of that.”

Take a look at 23 stunning photos they took throughout the Pacific Northwest:

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Photos courtesy of Nick Kelly.

Want to come along next time? Check out our available careers, and join us!

You can learn more about Faithlife at Faithlife.com/About.

September 5, 2014 By Ryan Nelson | 57 Comments

26 Breathtaking Photos of Biblical Places

The events of the Bible happened in real places, with real people. Take a virtual journey across the biblical landscape, and see the cities where Jesus and the Apostles walked, lived, and changed the world.

Logos Bible Software sent photographers all over the holy land, and they assembled 400 photos, videos, infographics, and maps of biblical places to guide your studies and help bring the Bible to life.

You can find them all in the Faithlife Study Bible. Get your free copy.

Here are 26 breathtaking photos taken right from the FSB:

1. Nazareth sunset

2. Herod’s Aqueduct, Caesarea

israel011 — An aqueduct built by Herod the Great to carry water from springs below Mount Carmel to Caesarea, 10 miles (16 km) away.

3. Reef Palace pillars, Caesarea

Pillars in Herod the Great’s "Reef" or "Promontory Palace" complex, probably the site of Paul's hearing and trial (Acts 25:1–26:32). — Pillars in Herod the Great’s “Reef” or “Promontory Palace” complex, probably the site of Paul’s hearing and trial (Acts 25:1–26:32).

4. Arched doorways, Thessalonica

greece090 — Arched shop doorways in excavated ruins of ancient Thessalonica.

5. Arches, Pool of Bethesda

A view of the arches over the Pool of Bethesda, Jerusalem, where Jesus healed the paralyzed man (John 5:2–9).

6. Parthenon columns

greece005 — Columns against the sky at the Parthenon in Athens.

7. Ruined arch, Philippi

greece064 — A ruined brick and stone arch at the northwestern entrance to the fifth century AD “Basilica B” in Philippi, with Philippi’s Acropolis in the right background.

8. Stone doorway, Philippi

A restored stone doorway leading into the fifth-century AD "Basilica B" in Philippi. — A restored stone doorway leading into the fifth-century AD “Basilica B” in Philippi.

9. Jail, Philippi

greece075 — A possible site of the Philippian jail where Paul and Silas led the jailor to Christ (Acts 16:23–40).

10. Floor, Caesarea theater

A view of the floor of the Roman theater in Caesarea from high in the seating section.

11. Restored stoa, Athens

Restored stoa (covered public walkway) in the Athens Agora.

12. A partially restored ancient arch in Corinth

13. Fountain at Tabgha

A fountain at Tabgha, the traditional site of the loaves and fish miracle (Mark 6:30–44) and Jesus’ fourth post-resurrection appearance (John 21:1–23).

14. Roman ruins, Scythopolis (Beth Shan)

Partly restored Roman era ruins at Scythopolis (Beth Shan).

15. Central Dead Sea looking East

16. Stone tomb closure

A close-up of the stone tomb closure at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. Possibly the site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection (John 19:41-42).

17. Arch series, Smyrna

A series of restored Roman era stone arches in the agora, or public marketplace, at Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey).

18. Ornate column capital, Laodicea

19. Curetes Street, Ephesus

Curetes Street, a rare diagonal street (Graeco-Roman cities were usually laid out in a north-south grid) located in Ephesus and named for an inscription found there that mentioned the Curetes, priests of Artemis.

20. Mosaic floor, Sardis synagogue

21. Marble columns and gymnasium façade, Sardis

A view of marble columns and the façade, part of an ancient gymnasium in Sardis. A gymnasium was roughly equivalent to a high school, but with a strong emphasis on preparation for public athletic games (hence the modern use of the word “gymnasium”).

22. Latin inscription, Ephesus

23. Simon the Tanner’s house

The traditional site of Simon the Tanner’s house (Acts 10:1-23) in Jaffa (biblical Joppa).

24. Roman hippodrome, Caesarea

Ruins of the Roman hippodrome (horse or chariot race track) at Caesarea.

25. Jezreel Valley from Mount Precipice

26. Capernaum synagogue, limestone wall

A fourth-century AD synagogue in Capernaum, built from limestone hauled from many miles away.

For more captivating photos of biblical places, get your free copy of the Faithlife Study Bible today, and enhance your Bible study with 400 photos, videos, infographics, and maps.

June 27, 2014 By Ryan Nelson | Leave a Comment

Share Photos with Your Church without Showing the Whole World

After a picnic, a game of Frisbee golf, or a get-together with your church or family, great photos are worth sharing. But what if you don’t want the whole world to see? What if you want to protect the privacy of your kids or friends? Enter Faithlife photos.

Faithlife photos are shared within groups, which means they have the same privacy settings as everything else you share. If you only want friends and family to see your photos, then only share them with your friends and family. If you want to show off how awesome your church’s latest event was, share those photos with the whole world. You can open up to the people you love without opening yourself up to the whole world.

It’s as easy as one, two, three:

Choose the Faithlife Group you want to share with, go to the “Photos” tab and click “Add image.”
Pick the photos you want to share, and drop them in the faded box that says “Drag photos here.”
Enter a caption, location, and tags to provide more information about each photo, and then click “done!”

Start sharing photos in a Faithlife Group today!