True Faith, True Light

• Prize
• Photographer
  Tim Hawley, United States
• Studio
  Tim Hawley Photography
• Website
  http://www.timhawley.com

Ed and Eliza Stilley have spent their lives as homesteaders in Hogscald Hollow, Arkansas. They raised 5 children on the Christian Gospel and what they could coax out of the ground or forage from the Ozark hills.

Sometime in the late 1970's, Mr. Stilley was presented with a problem he could not resolve on his own. Deeply troubled, he prayed for guidance and received a calling from God. In a dream, God agreed to take care of the matter if Ed would make guitars and give them away for free. So he did. About two hundred of them.

Eventually, he also fashioned fiddles, mandolins, banjos, ukuleles, and dulcimers.

Limited in his resources, Mr. Stilley was certain God would provide him with the means necessary for the project. For wood he chopped down a walnut tree. Finding brazing rods for frets and rusty old door hinges for tailpieces, he would whittle down a steak bone from his dinner plate and use that for a bridge.
On every instrument he carved the words, "True Faith, True Light, Have Faith in God".

Inside his instruments is an odd assortment of screen door springs, saw blades, pot lids and old medicine bottles. These can work collectively to create a haunting sort of reverb. According to Brother Ed "to more clearly speak the voice of God."

Mr. Stilley never charged for a single instrument he made and generally would only give them to children.

Now in his 80's, Ed Stilley continues to live the homesteader's life with his wife, Eliza. They subsist mostly off of a few chickens and cows and what they can grow in the Arkansas hardscrabble earth of their garden.

Their retirement plan has always been their faith that God will provide.

WYSIWYG
I am an international award winning photographer and digital artist. This allows me to orchestrate all the visual components needed to realize the directed goal and to create the level of imagery you see in my portfolio with great efficiency and ease. While my style and experience transcend categories, I excel at tabletop, product and still life photography.

PRODUCTION
My company is a full service photography studio. We handle all aspects of production including casting, catering, crew, location coordination, permits, scouting, production vehicles, prop rental, studio rental, and wardrobe.

VISION
Whether I am telling a story or presenting a piece of merchandise, my work is an organic union of what is dramatic, eloquent and heroic. There is an obvious visual thread that can be seen when you look through the body of my work. I create memorable images that have a classic beauty based in crisp reality.

RECOGNITION
I have received various awards for my work from a variety of organizations including the AAF, AI-AP, IPA, AX3, CA, Spider Awards, PDN, and APA. However, my kids are most impressed with the award for my Bananas Foster Pizza.

Awards 2015 Communication Arts Photography Annual
Silver - Fine Art/Still Life - PX3 2014
Bronze - Book Documentary - PX3 2014
Honorable Mention- Press/Feature Article - PX3 2014
Honorable Mention - Fine Art/Other FA - PX3 2014
Silver - Specialty Camera - One Eyeland Awards 2013
Bronze - Fine Art/Still Life - One Eyeland Awards 2013
Selected Winner - American Photography 30
First Place - Special Category - 2013 International Photo Awards
First Place - Still Life, Pro - 2013 American Aperture Awards
Nominee - 8th Annual Black & White Spider Awards
Gallery Exhibition - "True Faith, True Light" - Walton Arts Center
Selected for APA "Untitled 2013" Exhibition
Selected for APA "Off the Clock" Exhibition
Chosen by AI-AP for American Photography 28
Honorable Mention 5x - International Photography Awards