Dirk deVries is a former youth pastor, Christian education director, curriculum developer, writer, and editor. A photographer, he leads workshops involving spirituality and photography, and his photos are featured on book covers, curricular resources, and calendars. He is also author of the blog The 60-Second Sabbath and attends St. John's Episcopal Cathedral in Denver. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

"I highly recommend this beautiful book. It offers many surprises, deep reflections, and practical ways to be creative with a camera. The author's comprehensive, yet accessible, approach to photography opens windows into our creative hearts and souls. He reminds us of the extraordinary within the ordinary and helps us to contemplate what is around us with amazement and sacred wonder, and to be a guide to these discoveries. His use of photographs throughout the book guides the reader for understanding the possibilities of one's creativity. I am delighted to read how Dirk deVries follows his imagination, and we follow his process, discovering and being surprised. As he follows his imagination in each chapter, he opens our hearts more to the beauty around us."––John August Swanson, American visual artist

"The technical notes, personal poetry, pictures, and prose of Dirk deVries show he knows what he is talking about. There is wise advice here about welcoming (not taking) pictures and picturing stillness with the eye's lens. This book is a rollicking good read and a quiet Sabbath for the soul."––Jerome Berryman, founder of Godly Play®

"Dirk deVrie's Contemplative Vision: Photography as a Spiritual Practice not only opened my eyes to a new way of looking through a camera lens, it opened my heart to a new way of looking at everyday objects, people, and nature as meditation. This beautifully worded book is a practical study in creating photography as a holy process. A must-read for every photographer who wants to see more through the camera lens."–– Deborah Bell Rodahaffer, Minister for Parish Life, The Episcopal Church of the Advent, Louisville, Kentucky

"Dirk shares specific tangible photography techniques and invites us to use them to deepen our relationship with ourselves, with each other, with our world and with God. Every chapter offers possibilities for seeing in a new way and discovering God in doing so. His book has embarked me on a new journey which I am extremely grateful for."––Martha Gardner, Missioner for Networking and Formation, The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

"This simple and profound book will help you to see holiness with an expanded vision, first by inviting you to refocus the lens of your mind, and then by inviting you to refocus the lens of your camera. Dirk deVries masterfully teaches us not just how to practice photography in a contemplative manner, but indeed life itself."––The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Founder, The Living Compass Wellness Initiative