Clusters of red berries encased in shimmering layers of ice hang from branches heavy with the weight of the December ice storm. Autumn leaves awash in vivid colors of red, orange and yellow collect in random piles on the woodland path.

Beds of vibrant tulips and Indiana redbud border the lush lawns at Foster Park in springtime, while a shasta daisy raises its cheerful face to soak up the summer sun in a backyard garden.

Memories frozen in time through the lens of a camera.

“I have no problem seeing the fingerprint of a creative God throughout the natural world that I photograph,” says photographer Denny Beck. “I find incredible satisfaction in capturing a moment in time with nature photography. Each season, a new cast of characters takes the stage; new stars are born, old ones disappear. I just enjoy being there with my camera to welcome them.”

Beck received his first camera in 1969 as a wedding present from wife Jana's father. A single-lens reflex, the Mamiya/Sekor initiated a fascination with photography that meshed with his lifelong love of nature.

He purchased his first tripod while on their honeymoon, experimenting with Florida scenery and night photography.

“I set my tripod up and took pictures,” Beck recalls. “They had a carnival, so I took time exposures of all the beautiful lights. I didn't really know what I was doing,” he says with a laugh. “It was on-the-job training!”

Three children and a job in banking occupied much of his time, but, whenever possible, he studied photography books and magazines, devouring techniques, tips and terminology. He experimented with wedding and sports team photography in the 1980s.

“Little League and soccer teams,” he recalls. “I didn't make much money, but it was fun.”

The digital revolution sparked a resurgence of Beck's interest in photography.

“With the advent of the digital camera, the computer and graphics programs, a whole new world has opened up,” he says. “Digital cameras do amazing things. I enjoy working with a graphics program like Photoshop. Recently, I've been really interested in abstract rendition, manipulated in Photoshop. It's more subtle ... although Jana doesn't like it,” he confides.

Black-and-white photos are scattered throughout his online gallery (www.indianalight.com).

“I like black-and-white a lot in the right picture and right setting,” he says. “It's a vintage look ... more artistic, ... simple and clean ...” he says, noting that details are more obvious because color isn't competing for the viewer's attention.

With retirement in the future, Beck is exploring options for marketing his work through galleries, exhibitions and art shows.

“I enjoy travel photography,” he says. “And I'd love to sell to businesses and churches.”

In June 2008, Beck's photo of springtime in Foster Park was selected to run on MSNBC as its Travel Photo of the Week.

Beck considers his photography a ministry.

“I'm a recorder of God's work,” he says. “I only record what he has already created. My first love is nature photography — the evidence of a creator, a master designer, in the beauty around us.”

His hope is that his images will capture the essence of nature, inspiring the viewer to recognize God through the incredible detail of his creation.

“The petals on the flowers, the ice, the raindrops — all the things we take for granted,” he says. “This didn't just happen by accident. There was a creator.”