Esquire Photography

Welcome to R-A-W 365 sharing my thoughts about the importance of lighting.

My name is David Esquire and I am a six-language published, award-winning, caffeinated #Leica #photographer, #filmmaker, Part 107 Professional #DronePilot, wanderluster, and AI and marketing expert currently based in #Minneapolis who wants to inspire and motivate while connecting through art, music, photography, filmmaking, and topics of the heart in “R-A-W 365” daily videos that are Real, Authentic and a little Weird.

Professional photographer, Part 107 Drone pilot, AI and Marketing Expert, philanthropist, filmmaker, Director Of Photography, and Educator: David Esquire of international photography company Esquire Photography is a caffeine-fueled photographer that loves to work with outgoing, passionate & exciting people around the world.

His roller coaster career spanning from USA to #England, #France, #Switzerland, #Netherlands, #Canada, #Mexico, #India, Japan, Singapore, #CostaRica and #Germany has blessed him to photograph Grammy award bands like #DuranDuran, The X Games, commercial & fashion, contributed to a best selling book on how to capture better photography, modeled for Ralph Lauren, teaches and gives motivational speeches in Elementary, High School and Colleges and has had his photography and written work published in 4 languages across the planet.

Copyright Esquire Photography | www.esquirephotography.com | May not be used without expressed written permission | 562.225.5915 | All international intellectual property laws apply | Esquire Photography and it's logo and slogan are trademarked and copyrighted

The Walls They Built Inside You

Some prisons are built from concrete and steel.

Others are built from words.

“Not enough.”

“Too much.”

“Failure.”

“Difficult.”

“Unworthy.”

At first, they may have been accusations spoken by parents, family members, classmates, teachers, employers, coworkers, or people we trusted.

But when we hear the same words long enough, their voices can become our inner voice.

Their judgment becomes our mirror.

Their rejection becomes the evidence we use to explain who we are.

That is why breaking free can be so difficult.

We are not only confronting something someone said years ago. We are confronting an identity we may have spent decades believing and unconsciously living out.

But Jesus does not meet us at the wall to confirm the accusations written upon it.

He meets us there to reveal that the wall was never the final authority over who we are.

Faith is not pretending the wall never existed.

Faith is choosing to believe that the wall does not have the final word.

Their words may have shaped the prison.

They do not have to define the person.

The world may have told you who you were.

But the One who created you has the authority to tell you who you are.

What label from your past are you still trying to unlearn?

Pain Heals. Chicks Dig Scars. Glory Lasts Forever.

There is swagger in the original line.

There is surrender in what it becomes beneath the cross.

Pain can heal—but faith does not require us to deny the wound.

Scars can remain—but they do not have to become our identity. Surrendered to Jesus, they can stop saying, “Look what happened to me,” and begin saying, “Look what Christ carried me through.”

Glory can last forever—but not ours. Human applause fades. Christ’s glory does not.

Christian courage is not surviving something so that others will admire our scars. It is surrendering those scars to Jesus so that others can see His faithfulness through them.

Face the pain honestly.

Carry the scars humbly.

Take the next faithful step courageously.

Give the glory completely to Jesus.

What scar is He redeeming in your story?

WHAT ARE WE BECOMING?

There are photographs we make because something is beautiful.

Then there are photographs we make because something is asking to be understood.

A watch.

A wedding ring.

A faith ring carrying the face of Jesus from the Shroud of Turin.

Photographed in black and white, the distractions disappeared. What remained were three quiet symbols of the life I am trying to live.

The watch tells me that time is moving whether I am purposeful with it or not.

The wedding ring tells me that love is not a feeling preserved beneath glass. It is covenant made visible through patience, forgiveness, sacrifice, presence and the choice to remain.

The faith ring tells me that transformation is not self-invention. It is surrender. Jesus does not ask me to become a more impressive version of myself. He asks me to release what keeps me from becoming faithful.

Art has taught me to look closer.

Family has taught me to love deeper.

Faith has taught me to bow lower.

One day, the watch will stop. The rings will be removed and left behind. The photograph may remain.

But the real image of my life will be found in how I used the hours I was given, how I loved the people God entrusted to me, what I created from the gifts placed in my hands and whether my life pointed toward Christ or toward myself.

That is what Transformation Tuesday means to me.

Not a dramatic reinvention for public consumption.

A quieter, daily realignment of time, love, creativity and obedience.

Not becoming more impressive.

Becoming more faithful.

What are you becoming?

—David Esquire

Deployment Is Measured in Moments Missed

Distance can be calculated.

Deployment cannot.

It is measured in the empty chair at dinner, the birthday viewed through a screen, the whispered goodnight crossing several time zones, and the calendar counting down toward a homecoming no one else can fully understand.

Yet love continues showing up.

Through calls, prayers, letters, packages, photographs, and the daily decision to keep holding on.

To every service member serving far away and every family carrying the mission at home: your sacrifice matters. Distance may test your love, but it does not diminish it.

Esquire Photography offers 50% off photography services for active-duty service members, veterans, and military families.

Whether you are celebrating a reunion or preserving the chapter that carried your family through the distance, we would be honored to preserve your story.

Our mission is preserving your legacy.

esquirephotography.com/military-discount

What helped your family stay connected across the miles?

My only limitation with God is myself.

Not because God lacks power.

But because I can allow fear to delay my obedience, pride to resist correction, comfort to avoid the cross, and control to make surrender feel like defeat.

God does not need me to be impressive.

He asks me to be available.

God is not limited.

The question is whether I will continue limiting my obedience to Him.

“Am I building for God—or am I Babel wearing a laboratory coat?”

God alone creates from nothing.

We rearrange what He has already made:

Matter.

Energy.

Light.

Language.

Ideas.

Experience.

Time.

We call the result invention, art, science, business, leadership, or progress.

And sometimes it is beautiful stewardship.

But Babel begins when capability convinces us that it has become authority.

Knowledge becomes pride.

Discovery becomes authorship.

Stewardship becomes ownership.

Influence becomes sovereignty.

Ability becomes permission.

Creation becomes self-glorification.

The laboratory coat is not the problem.

Neither is the business suit.

The clerical collar.

The military uniform.

The photographer’s vest.

Or the creator’s platform.

The clothing changes.

The temptation remains:

“Let us make a name for ourselves.”

The question is not whether I am building.

The question is whose name I am carving into the tower.

Maybe the man in the mirror isn’t just the person staring back at us.

Maybe he is every place we’ve been, every scar we carry, every door that closed, and every choice that brought us here.

The question isn’t whether we can see him.

The question is what we’re going to do now that we can.

Not nostalgia.

Not merely reflection.

Examination. Accountability. Change.

A mirror can show us where we are.

Only God can show us who we are becoming.

Photograph of Mill Ruins Park reflection copyright Esquire Photography

Some portraits get better with time.

Throwback Thursday is usually about looking back.

Today, it’s also about looking ahead.

Several months ago, Donna Walker and her family trusted me to create portraits in my studio at the historic Northrup King Building. Next month, I have the privilege of photographing them again.

That means more to me than I can put into words.

People often think photographers sell photographs.

The truth is…

We’re entrusted with something much bigger.

We’re asked to preserve a family’s history.

One of the greatest compliments a photographer can receive isn’t an award.

It’s when a family says,

“We’re ready to make more memories together.”

So today I’d love to ask you something.

If your grandchildren opened one family album fifty years from now…

Which photograph would you hope they’d find first?

I’d genuinely love to read your answer.

Walker family…

Thank you for trusting Esquire Photography once again.

Kristine and I can’t wait to create another chapter of your family’s story.

Stay caffeinated! ☕️📸😎

Wedding planning has changed.

Comparison hasn’t.

Social media simply made it easier.

Planning our own wedding reminded us that everyone’s journey is beautifully different.

That’s why this series exists.

Your wedding isn’t content.

It’s your story.

Esquire Photography Military Monday

Service Before Self

Service before self isn’t just a motto.

It’s birthdays missed. Holidays postponed. Quiet sacrifices most people never see.

To every active-duty service member, veteran, and military family—thank you. Your sacrifice has helped protect freedoms many of us enjoy every day.

As our way of saying thank you, Esquire Photography proudly offers 50% off photography services (esquirephotography.com/military-discount) for current military members, veterans, and their families.

Whether it’s a family portrait, homecoming, graduation, or simply preserving this chapter of your story, we’d be honored to serve those who have served.

Our mission is preserving your legacy.

Until next Monday… thank someone who has served. 🇺🇸

Stay caffeinated!

FROM FIREWORKS TO FAITH

The fireworks never became less beautiful. Christ became more beautiful.

Yesterday, America celebrated her 250th birthday.

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Today, after worship, I found myself reflecting on something far deeper.

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I’ve been given the rare privilege of witnessing both America’s 200th birthday and now her 250th.

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Fifty years ago…

my eyes were captivated by fireworks.

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Today…

my heart is captivated by Jesus Christ.

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The fireworks never became less beautiful.

Christ became more beautiful.

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Perhaps that’s part of growing older.

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Or perhaps it’s part of growing in Christ.

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The things that capture our attention begin to change.

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The things that capture our affection begin to change.

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The things that capture our worship begin to change.

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Yesterday, I celebrated America’s freedom.

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Today, I’m reminded of the freedom that allows me to openly follow Jesus Christ.

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To gather with other believers.

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To open God’s Word without hiding it.

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To pray without fear.

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To proclaim the name of Jesus.

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To share the Good News of salvation.

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That freedom is a tremendous luxury.

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Not because Christianity is easy.

It is not.

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Jesus never promised His followers comfort.

He promised a cross before a crown.

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The luxury is this…

Millions of our brothers and sisters in Christ still pray for the freedom many of us experienced simply by walking into church this morning.

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Every God-given luxury carries God-given responsibility.

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Religious liberty was never given so Christians could become comfortable.

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It was given so Christ could be made known.

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The older I’ve become…

the less amazed I’ve become by fireworks…

and the more amazed I’ve become by God’s grace.

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Yesterday, my eyes were drawn upward…

toward the fireworks.

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Today…

my heart is drawn upward…

toward the Light of the World.

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If yesterday’s celebration caused us to treasure our nation’s freedoms more deeply…

may today cause us to treasure the Author of our eternal freedom even more.

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May we never waste what millions of believers around the world are praying to receive.

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May we remain grateful.

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May we remain faithful.

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And may we boldly point others to the only freedom that lasts forever—

the freedom found in Jesus Christ.

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A Reflection

What captures your heart today that didn’t capture it ten, twenty, or even fifty years ago?

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Join the Conversation

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If this reflection encouraged you, share it with someone who might need the reminder that while fireworks light up the night sky, only Jesus Christ lights the way to eternal life.

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Reflect deeply.

Love boldly.

Stay caffeinated. ☕

— David Esquire

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Today, I’ve been given the rare privilege of witnessing something for the second time in my lifetime.

By God’s grace, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing both America’s 200th birthday and now her 250th.

Fifty years ago, I was captivated by the excitement of fireworks, parades, and celebration. Today, those things still bring a smile to my face—but my gratitude has grown deeper.

More than ever, I’m thankful for a freedom I once took for granted: the freedom to openly follow Jesus Christ.

That freedom is a tremendous luxury.

Not because Christianity is easy. It is not.

The luxury is that we can gather for worship, open God’s Word, pray openly, proclaim the name of Jesus, and share the Good News of salvation without fearing imprisonment or government persecution.

What millions of believers around the world are praying for, many of us have the privilege of experiencing every day.

Every God-given luxury carries God-given responsibility.

Religious liberty was never given so Christians could become comfortable.

It was given so the Gospel could become unmistakable.

The Gospel was entrusted to us to be proclaimed.

If today’s celebration causes us to treasure our nation’s freedoms more deeply, may it also cause us to treasure the Author of our eternal freedom even more.

May we never waste what millions of believers around the world are praying to receive.

Happy 250th Birthday, America.

May we remain grateful.

May we remain faithful.

And may we boldly point others to the only freedom that lasts forever—the freedom found in Jesus Christ.

Just dropped this morning: Tom MacDonald’s new song and music video, “US in the USA.”

Whether you agree with every lyric or not, it’s the kind of release that’s guaranteed to get people talking.

Have you watched it yet, and what’s your honest take on it? 🇺🇸

🎤 Watch it here⁠: https://youtu.be/9ehwH719JKU?is=PMlMOdOySq6KSA2p

Satan rarely begins by convincing us to reject Jesus.

He simply offers us something to love a little more.

An idol is anything that takes your eyes, your heart, your mind, or your soul off Christ.

Today is a good day to ask:

Who truly sits on the throne of my heart?

“As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

The world celebrates originality while quietly rewarding conformity.

That’s the paradox.

Everyone wants to be unique—as long as it doesn’t cost them acceptance.

The Gospel turns that upside down.

Jesus never called His followers to blend in.

He called them to be transformed.

The enemy’s greatest counterfeit isn’t rebellion.

It’s convincing image-bearers to forget whose image they bear.

Remember whose you are.

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