About | photosbydirk

About Dirk

Born and raised in Western Michigan (on the shore of Lake Michigan), Dirk came to Denver, CO in 1982 with one Master’s in Clinical Psychology (Western Michigan University) and another in Church Education (Calvin Theological Seminary).

After working for six years as the Director of Youth and Adult Education at one of Denver’s Christian Reformed Churches, Dirk went on to be an editor with Living the Good News, a Christian publisher focused on faith-formation for Episcopal and other mainline denominations. Living the Good News was acquired by the Episcopal publisher Church Publishing, in 2005 and Dirk has been an Editorial Director with the company since that time.

Dirk’s work with Church Publishing has officially come to an end with his retirement on August 31, 2016. He now feels the freedom to focus on what has long been his passion, fine-art photography.

The site you are now visiting is a key part of that focus, bringing together Dirk’s blog (begun on September 1 of 2010), where he posts original photos and text (reflections and poems) most weekdays (over 1,500 as of spring of 2016), with a place from which to sell his books, calendars and prints.

The blog, The 60-Second Sabbath, reflects Dirk’s interest in mindfulness, spirituality, seeking, stillness, wonder, healing and personal growth. He’s grateful for those who’ve followed and supported this venture over the years. It truly has been the place “where spirit and image merge.”

Now, with the launch of PhotosByDirk, he hopes to reach more people with both images and text designed to encourage, challenge and uplift. As he likes to say, “It’s all a grand experiment.”

In 2011, Dirk and his partner, Tim Stewart, were married in the library of Church Publishing at the company’s head office on 5th Avenue in New York City. They share their home in Denver with Willy and Romeo, two of the world’s most affectionate cats. Willy and Romeo were litter mates rescued as kittens from a feral colony in 2003. Dirk adopted both in 2005. Tim, who always thought of himself as a dog person, has discovered his latent (and quite loving) cat person. Tim is also a PA currently working for a Colorado workers’ compensation company.

Dirk’s other interests include cooking and baking, fitness (trying to keep his aging body in line), reading (spirituality and poetry, especially) and writing…oh, and most things Disney. One of these days, he plans on getting a discrete tattoo of Mickey Mouse, a symbol for him of innocence, acceptance and joy.