We choose to produce quality over quantity.  Truthfully, that is a concept that isn’t really rewarded in our “biggie-size-me” society.   But our goal is to create photos that will one day be passed down from generation to generation in your family. Years from now, we hope that our work will hang in the home of your great-grandchildren where visitors stare and exclaim, “Your great-grandmother was so beautiful!”  In other words, we don’t want to fill all your facebook albums with photos…instead we want to take the one photo that always seems to end up as your profile pic. 

Here is just one example. A before and after:

This (above) is the look for all of our Valentines Mini-Sessions.  
I am embarrassed to say how much time and money I spent to make this look possible.
1. researching classic movie posters and french wall art
2. digitally painting the background
3. and having the backdrop printed
4. installing the backdrop and lighting
5. taking the photo with our new canon camera
6. color adjusting it to match an old hollywood palette
7. fully editing it to achieve the “romance movie star” look I was going for

So if you ever wandered what goes into making an Eppicmoments Portrait…there it is: crazy amounts of time, stupid amounts of monetary sacrifice, and letting NOTHING stop us from giving our clients a unique, classic, timeless portrait.

Words by Leah Bridges Taylor
Music by Leah Bridges Taylor and Robert Weston Gilliard
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> Producer/Engineer: Dave Sands
> Keys/Orchestration/Pads: Robert Weston Gilliard
> Vocals: Leah Bridges Taylor and Robert Weston Gilliard
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WHO IS THIS SONG FOR: (Pro 25:11)
I know the power of these lyrics, because I have experienced it.  This song is for anyone who has ever heard the phrase…”when God closes a door, He opens a window. (smiley face smiley face)”  and thought, “Uh…I DON’T SEE A WINDOW, PEOPLE! ”   If you struggle with the perfect words to say, please share this song for healing, rest, or encouragement.

THE SONG:
They say 90% of success is just showing up.  That’s really how I feel about my part in this song.  Leah and I started working on one of her many pages of lyrics, and as I started singing a line, hers naturally came underneath it.  As the song began to unfold as a duet, pieces of other songs we had worked on began completing the natural thought of the song.

THE MUSIC:
I really wanted this song to have a “rainy Saturday” feel.  You know, those days that you had planned an epic day of yard work for yourself—only to wake up and find it pouring down rain.  So you spend the day resting, discovering life and the people around you instead of work.  I love those unexpected moments that God puts a break in our hectic plans to teach us something greater about life.  But just as symbolic as God subtracting things from our lives, we had to subtract tracks from the song.  What we were left with, was almost exactly what we started with, a piano and vocals.  (thanks to Michael Carbaugh, John Paul Holmes and Doug Merritt for your support and encouraging presence on the journey of this recording.)

A PERSONAL RESPONSE: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(Yes, this is a little hard to write.  Living in ministry and the Bible belt, you are taught by example to hide anything in your life that isn’t picture perfect.  But, in my 37 years, God has publicly broken me so many times that transparency and truth is all I have to offer.)

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t operating at some level of brokenness for the past few months.  While I can’t put my finger on just one thing exactly, I can say that I am understanding aspects of Bible stories that didn’t make sense before.

SAMSON:  How confused Samson must have been that morning he woke up powerless.   How did his strength become a weakness so abruptly?  Had he finally pushed his limits too far?   At what point exactly had he given the enemy too much ammunition? (Jdg 16:20)

ELIJAH: I think about Elijah.  He had just brought fire from heaven ending a famine.  He then destroyed all the false prophets only to hide in a cave; because the queen wanted him dead.  It’s easy to read the story from the comfort of your chair and laugh at him for not having faith.  But until you are in that dark cave you can’t really speak with any authority or value on this subject.

WAITING:  I can’t help but feel that these men had plenty of faith in God—or even obedience in Elijah’s case.  But sometimes God’s direction doesn’t come the moment we think we need it.  The only thing we know to do is retreat, because operating without God’s power is not an option.  Then the mountain-top emotions swing to an all-time-low for which you didn’t know to prepare yourself.  Then you start questioning the point of everything you have done, or do…every path God has taken you down…your purpose in life.  The mountains can crash around you the earth can quake and you are not moved or impressed…you only yearn to hear that familiar still small voice and hope it comes quickly. (1Ki 19:12)

THE SOLUTION:
haha. You really thought I would have something didn’t you, but “KEEP WAITING & LISTENING” is all I can offer!  From what I have seen…this lack of desire to “keep going” is only exasperated by shallow friendships and a Sunday religion.   And the cute cliche phrases we pass along only further deepen the thought that you may be the only person in the world who sees past that veil of delusion in which so many people are happy to operate.

SOME ENCOURAGEMENT:
First, know you are not alone.  Anyone who is sincere, honest with themselves, and live with an open heart and mind, must lose their faith on some level to motivate us to rediscover the very core of that faith.  The only hope I have found lately have been in a very few listening ears, this song, quotes from the Bible, and other great men of history who have shared this same season:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: “I am now the most miserable man living.  If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would be not one cheerful face on earth.  Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell.  I awfully forebode I shall not.  To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better it appears to me.”

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE – “I have made a captive of myself and put me into a dungeon, and now I cannot find the key to let myself out.”

PRAYER: God, I cannot make it without you! I cannot move on!  I cannot make it without you, I cannot move on!  Lord, while I wait, I wait on you. I put my trust in you.  Through it all, I will not be moved.  Thought the storm around me rages, I will wait on you. 

Now, pull up a chair.  You are not waiting alone.

[ BRAND: A "brand" is what your logo represents once it is on  something.  Changing a brand is much harder than changing a logo.   A logo is simply a visual representation of your company.  A brand, however,  is what people have come to learn over the years about the products/services on which you have your logo. ]
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Our story begins…
A mediocre men’s fashion designer decides he would like to expand his business.  His goal was simply: gain more clients and increase production.    He approaches the best marketing guy in New York, George Lois, and turns him loose on the project.

The Marketer’s Hurtles:
Obstacle 1:  At the time, no one had ever heard of the brand “Tommy Hilfiger.”
Obstacle 2:  The product was not unique or exceptional in anyway.
Obstacle 3:  The client was insecure and didn’t know who he was or what he wanted.
Obstacle 4:  Getting people in the industry to care or even read the ad.

The Marketer’s Delimma:
Almost every client approaches marketing with fear and insecurity.  They say that want people beating down their door, but in truth,

1) their business structure couldn’t handle that and
2) they want 100% success with 0% risk
3) the only statement they are willing to make is “I am only a little better than my competitor, but I can’t tell you why.”

So, what is the marketer’s goal?  Is it to make the client happy and feel safe and just spend his money?  Or should he/she push the client to do something bold, unsafe, risky and defining?

The Ad:
Below is the teaser ad campaign that almost never happened.  It was the perfect ad to overcame all the obstacles.  Ultimately, it would launch Tommy Hilfiger into fame as a top designer, but not without a fight.

TOMMY’S RESPONSE:
When Tommy saw this ad, he refused to use it.  He felt it was an insult to these great men to put himself in the same category.  He didn’t see himself as a fashion innovator or even having a product of that kind of quality.

Thankfully, his business partner overrode his decision.  The ad ran.  

Who was right: the marketer or the client?  
Both!  The ad was a sensation. It launched Tommy Hilfiger into huge success. demand increased globally.   But, Tommy’s insecurity got the best of him.  He apologized to all his peers and competitors stating that He didn’t see himself or his product this way but he was overruled in the decision to run the ad.

Tommy Hilfiger’s Defining Point
Tommy now had a decision to make.  Would he shrink back into oblivion in embarrassment, or would he use this new fame to his advantage?

It took humiliation, but Tommy rolled up his sleeves and became the designer that matched his new globally recognized brand.  He worked tirelessly to become a fashion innovator.  He upped the quality of his product.  He BECAME the designer in his ad.  He became the designer his marketer knew he could be.

LESSONS:
 > Success doesn’t come without risk.  
 > Success doesn’t come without work.  
 > A brand is something you become.  What will your brand be? 
 > The best companies in your industry started where you are at.
 > A good marketer will push you beyond your comfort zone; because that is where success lives.
 > A good marketer believes its decietful to let clients dictate work and then get paid for it.
> Ad campaigns have to be “SEEMINGLY OUTRAGEOUS” at first you think its outrageous but then realize its on the nose.  

BENEATH THE CROSS: A 1868 poem that turned into a 2011 hymn
Words by Elizabeth Clephane, Music and Chorus by Robert Weston Gilliard

Producer/Engineer: Dave Sands
Drums: Brad Mayeux
Bass: Doug Merritt
Guitars: Chris Decker
Keys/Synth/Strings/Organs/Loops: Robert Weston Gilliard
BGVs: Robert Weston Gilliard and Leah Taylor

BENEATH THE CROSS is a poem written by Elizabeth Clephane in 1868.  Upon reading her words, I searched for a recording of the poem as a song but was unable to find it.  One day, I took her words and began to let my own melody pour out of me at my piano.  As I sang these words, they began to stir up something inside of me.  In my private worship I began singing the chorus you hear at the end of each verse.  This song has become my anthem of transparency and dependency of the cross.   My hope is that her words are not lost in a book somewhere, but will be reintroduced to a whole new generation.  I also pray that my added chorus will remind you throughout the day of the cross and this beautiful poem.

MORE ABOUT “BENEATH THE CROSS:”

I love studying old hymns, who wrote them and where they came from.  In my studies, I cameacross this old poem and was just drawn to the words. I read it over and over until I became increasingly interested in the story behind it.  There was something about the way the writer spoke of the cross as the ONLY glory in their life.  I thought that the writer would have a horrible story of sin and destruction.  Imagine my surprise when I learned that the writer was,

1) a women nicknamed “sunbeam” (don’t judge her by her photo);

2) practically a saint who had given away her fortune to the sick and needy; and

3) born with physical limitations–yet accomplished so much in a short life.

Her story has been a source of much pondering in my life lately.  Here are some of the things this poem and its writer have brought to my heart:

I Thank God for Women.
Seriously, if it was not for women, I wouldn’t even have a ministry.  And for some reason, women are always pushed in the shadows and never get thanked, recognized nor allowed to reach their full potential.  It was sad for me to read that Elizabeth’s poetry had to be published anonymously during–and even after her lifetime.      I am so thankful that Elizabeth didn’t let sexism of her day stop her from sharing her work.  I am thankful that she continued without monetary gain or even recognition.    I am especially thankful for the humble, hardworking women in my life that push me to serve and know God more.

We MUST overcome our generational gaps
We have to teach our older generation to love and be patient with our youth. It wasn’t very long ago that they were in the same place fighting for relevance in the church.  Together–and only together–we are the Bride of Christ and the future of our church.   For more on my heart on this matter visit my friend Andrew Kirk’s ministry site http://www.daphnekirk.org/

What is ironic about hymns is that when you really study them, you learn that they were the “contemporary” music of their day.  These songs were banned from churches at the time they were written. They were said to be too worldly and sensual.   So as you can see, the typical church montage of “We aint never done it that way before” is actually keeping the church about a century behind the times…when we should be the leaders of the music industry.    The world should be looking at us marveling at what we are going to create next?  But at the same time, our heritage, our hymns and that message should still be celebrated and not forgotten.

I NEED the cross daily
If this “Mother Theresa” of a woman can admit her dependency on the cross…If she can confess her sin to the world…If she can come to the end of her life and tell people that she is not proud of anything in her life but the cross, then why can’t we be transparent as Christians.  Why does the world look at the church as a country club they can’t join.   Why does the world think the church is judging them instead of loving them.  How have we forgotten that we are just like them—save that we are sheltered by His grace.

So as you take up your cross tomorrow morning, let the world see you BENEATH THE CROSS as you live out your faith.

>  BUY THE SONG (CLICK HERE)
>  HEAR THE SONG (CLICK HERE)

So what goes into writing a wedding song?  This is a song years in the making.  Here are some of the thoughts that went into the lyrics and music.

VERSE ONE: Beauty of the bride.
The first verse came from a very personal experience I had. I was on a date and I sat across the table from this BEAUTIFUL woman. As I hung on every word she said…the time flew by! She was only in town for a few days and would be driving back to Colorado the next morning, so I took in every moment with her. We had dinner with her family then went for coffee and stayed out till 3am just talking and getting to know each other. As I got up from the table, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I wasn’t prepared at all for what I saw–me–plain old me, but after staring at such beauty, the comparison of my face was so disappointing in that moment. I never felt so inadequate, yet so simultaneously content with myself to have this woman on my arm.

That feeling, was what I wanted to capture and portray in the first verse. A guy who worked his best all day to be presentable…but the moment the bride turns the corner and he catches that first glimpse…It is then he realizes how unprepared he must appear next to this beauty walking toward him. In that moment, he promises himself to spend the rest of his life showing her how thankful he is that she would call him “husband.”

VERSE 2: Strength of the Husband.
When I asked Leah to think about writing the second verse and make the song a duet, I asked her to write about what a bride looks for in a husband. Without hesitation, she said that Seth is her strength in life. She knows that whatever storms come her way, He will be there and He will be stronger than that storm. WHAT A PICTURE OF CHRIST IN OUR LIVES!

CHORUS: Marriage is sacred.
There is simply no disputing that. Maybe it takes going through a divorce to see it, but even people who don’t believe in God, see marriage as a sacred vow that should never be betrayed or broken.  God compares His love toward us to this vow. The Bible goes as far to say that the husband represents Christ and the adorned wife represents the church. Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. If we live our roles accordingly, we can experience what He created us for–ETERNAL LOVE.

BRIDGE: A promise that is greater than our expectations:
1Cr 2:9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Musical Inspiration: A blend of our music addictions.
DIDO: well, we can blame netflix for the mood of the soundtrack…see, they suggested that I would enjoy the series ROSWELL. Within one episode I was soooo ADDICTED–three days later and I had watched all three seasons! Knowing Leah’s weakness for a good sci-fi/teen drama, it was easy to get her to share this addiction. DIDO sang the theme for the show “Here With Me.” WE LOVE IT!

Adele: Well aside from being completely awesome…alot of her songs have a piano “heartbeat” (as Leah calls it). I took that idea and created several piano parts that build organically with the song. I approached the piano as I would with an electric guitar player.  I created several tempo patterns and played them throughout the song as I felt them in keeping with the emotion of the song.

Our Style: (leah & Rob) It is amazing to see how this song has developed. We started with a traditional, wedding, “Disney” feel–complete with 2 key changes. lol. However, I wanted this song to be something that a guy would want to sing to his bride–I wanted it to have a little rawness, a bit of an indie flare.   I wanted it to start out representing the everyday love but develop and grow into this beautiful, musical, fairytale, moment.  Thanks Leah for adding  the beauty to my raw vocals on this song.  You rock!

My Limitations: This recording cost me $0. It is literally a “home recording,” so go easy on it. There is no auto tune, professional musicians, or engineers–just Leah, me and a 61-note keyboard. haha. It was simply a demo. Maybe one day, God will give me money to work with, but until then I will continue to do everything I can with what He HAS given me.

PSALM 91: Family Resemblance
by Robert Weston G.

One of my earliest memories was being in the Piggly Wiggly Grocers (yes that use to be an actual store. lol) I was with my mom, but she had stepped across the aisle to grab something. Two strange ladies approached me, bent down and got in my face as if to inspect me.

“Well isn’t this a handsome boy!” one lady exclaimed. (I should note that as a 3 and a half year old, I had it goin’ on the ladies! “He must look just like his daddy.” the other one chimed in.

Without hesitating, and with unexplained boldness I looked them both in the eyes and said, “No ma’am, I look my mamma.” I then walked away to find the mother I resembled so much . I was confused at their laughter; because I was undeniably my mother’s son. But as ___ years have passed, my face has changed. Yes, I still have my mom’s eyes, but my face has formed itself closer and closer to my Father’s.

What reminded me of this incident? Well, as I started meditating on the lyrics of the song and the passage Psalm 91. Suddenly, I began to see something emerge from these words. I reread it and started typing keywords that I was reading. Together, these words painted the clearest portrait of our God than anything Da Vinci has ever shown us through his art or a shroud has ever left us clues. Just listen to the words used in reference to God and His role in our life:

A PSALM 91 DESCRIPTION OF GOD
shelter (4x)
protect (2x)
mighty king
stronghold
trust
rescue
wings
faithfulness
shield
Protective wall
our vengeance
refuge
Sovereign One
devoted
deliverer
loyal
life
salvation
Pretty awesome, huh? Makes you feel at peace doesn’t it? It makes you feel like nothing in the world can harm you with God sheltering you.   BUT….Simultaneously, another portrait is being painted as well. From deep within the shadows of these words emerge a portrait of the enemy.

A PSALM 91 DESCRIPTION OF EVIL:
snare
hunter
destructive
plague
terrors
arrows
plagues
darkness
disease
fallen
harm
illness
lion
snake

So there we have it. A picture of God, and a picture of Satan side by side for comparison. This makes me ask myself some tough questions.

Do my words and actions instill peace and rest, or do they cause hurt and harm?

What about the people I surround myself with? Are they a source of encouragement and unconditional love, or do they make me feel discouraged and alone?

We WILL bear the family resemblance of our father.
Who do you resemble?
Who is your father?

Sound/Mix: Dave Sands
Vocals/Keys/Organs: Robert Weston Gilliard
BGVs/Arranging: Leah Taylor
BGVs/Electric Guitar: James Jernigan
Drums: Nick Pittman
Bass: Doug Merritt
Song: “Beautiful the Blood” written by Steve Fee

You would think that someone who devoted their whole life to minister through music would have all the answers about why we sing…but sometimes I forget.   Sometimes music is that thing that I enjoy, but doesn’t seem worth the expense or the trouble if there is no real useful, measurable purpose for it.

In one of these “question everything” moments, I asked my good friend Rusty if there was any point to my leading worship at their weekly Drug Recovery meeting at Marcus Pointe Baptist.  I mean, couldn’t I do something more useful for them…something tangible? His response was something like this:

 ”You have no idea what your music means to these people.  I had to give up everything in my life to quit drugs.  I had to leave my job, my friends, my hangout places–even my music.  When I heard your music for the first time I realized that God never expected me to go without, that he would replace my old life with a NEW, better one. That’s what you are showing these people when you lead worship!”

 I was further humbled to see this group of about 150 people worship with their whole hearts, tears, voices and bodies.  It wasn’t like church.  Everyone wasn’t dressed in their “sunday best” acting like they had never sinned and no one complained about the sound system or the song selection.  There were no “fronts” or “facades.”  By entering the room they were wearing their human weaknesses for all to see.  People were there because sin had taken them as low as they could go, and the ONLY hope they had was in JESUS CHRIST.

If you ever want to see God at work…If you ever want to see true, humble worship, that is where you go.  Every week that they enter those doors it is a BRAND NEW celebration of how God has delivered them from themselves that week. To sing with these people is to realize how beautiful the Blood of Jesus Christ is…how the Hand of God will go to any links to reach down and pull us out of destruction, and how it is only that same Grace of God that protects us from our weaknesses.

And NOW I SING “FREEDOM” for all of my days
It’s only by the Power of the Cross I’m saved.
the KING OF GLORY rescued me!

HOW BEAUTIFUL THE BLOODFLOW!

Rusty and I working on the 2010 SEVEN22 HOME MAKEOVER together

Speaking of “hopeless romantic,” this was the most unique couple.  Both come from German families and met here in Pensacola.  She had the most beautiful, thick accent.  They fell in love and Eppicmoments.com had the privilege of capturing their wedding on camera.   The day after the wedding, I took them on a photoshoot of just the two of them.  We had a blast traipsing through the woods and running up and down the beach.

And if you are wondering where I found a castle on the beaches of the Gulf Coast…I will never tell!

C-TOWN Runners
This is a group of people (mostly ladies) who think just like that.  But, while I am more into simply making it just part of my life-style, these girls are  into making it an EXTREME SPORT.  Yes, they are training for a half marathon (13 miles) in Nashville, TN.  I have all the respect for them!  Go girls!  I’ll cheer you on as soon as I get back from my 30 minute jog.

In prep for this marathon, I designed a logo for their group.  ”C-Town” comes from where they live, Cantonment.  And here are the two designs we settled on:

Using lines, I created a “C” that gives the feeling of forward motion.  The uneven lines on the back of the “C” create the effect of speed lines.

A little more intense design work.  I created a shoe print and carved out the letters of the name.

We couldn’t decide on just one, so we opted to use the LINES LOGO on the front pocket of the shirt and the SHOE LOGO on the back of the shirt.

Good luck Girls!  To practice for your marathon, I am going to make you jog from C-town to M-town to pick up your shirts.  lol.

“it takes money to make money.”
Marketing IS the money it takes to make money.

Even since The Great Depression of the 1930′s, companies that out-marketed, out-sold, and out-promoted gained market share and long-term profitability over their competition.  Studies by the STRATEGIC PLANNING INSTITUTE, the Association of Business publishers, McGraw-Hill, Cahners, and Nielsen all show that marketing investments are MORE critical during a downturn.

MERCER CO. studies showed that, 70% of companies that simply cut cost in a slowdown, failed to make profitable growth FOR FIVE YEARS!

Here are PROVEN SUCCESSFUL IDEAS for turning around the effects of a “recession”:
1. Hire newly available talent
2. Let go of consistent underperformers
3. Maintain or increase employee training
4. Redeploy your most capable people into the field to sell
5. Cut customers’ costs. Show customers how your products reduce waste, save time, improve warranties
6. Take advantage of the fact that customers have more time to see salespeople and greater incentive to cut cost
7. Partner with customers to develop and launch new products
8. Rush new products to market
9. Invest in web projects to cut administrative costs and reduce bureaucracy.
10. Target customers of weaker or weakened competitors, especially those competitors that pull back and reduce their visibility.
11. Have top managers make sales calls on end-use customers.

REMEMBER: Recessions are market share growth opportunities!  Because many business mistakenly cut marketing…that means a lot of business is up for grabs.  If you don’t grab it, someone else who is reading this article will.  :)   The marketing term for this is “advertising noise.”  When other companies are silent, your message will stand out and be heard!

REFERENCE: “How to Become a Marketing Superstar” by Jeffery J Fox;  2003