Toni Morris-Final This semester I was hoping to continue taking portraits of people and learning about their story, what they believe and why and helping them see that what they believe is important. I think some of the beauty of taking photos of people is seeing someone smile. I also love being able to hear stories and thoughts of what people are currently going through and am grateful for them sharing with me and trusting me. As a follower of Jesus Christ my heart is for the gospel. Freshman year was around the time I began living for the Lord, sophomore year I was baptized and now as a senior graduating this week I am grateful as I think about the ways God has used photography in my life to grow my faith in Him. With the photography project of taking portraits of people and learning about their belief it has helped me lean not on the confidence I have, because I have never been very confident, but Jesus has taught me to trust in Him and be confident in Him. And so with each photo, each name, each story, was another chance to learn about what others believe while sharing about my hope in Christ. Christians, Catholics, agnostics, atheists, hindus, muslims, pagans and those who are not sure what they believe, each conversation I learned more about other perspectives, hopefully made them feel noticed and loved and the faith that I have was strengthened defending and explaining about it. Since the pandemic my subject matter temporarily changed because of social distancing, but also because I wanted to appreciate the time that my family is all home together and the slower pace of the world in many ways. Though my subject matter has not really changed, as I have still been speaking with people over the phone and video call about what they believe for news stories I am writing for class, which has been a blessing. I am also hoping to continue the photos this summer and on! So for this semester, I really enjoyed taking photos of my family. My mom on walks with my dog, around the house, bringing back mushrooms her and my sister got from mushroom hunting to batter and fry, like my mom did with her stepdad, my Dad at the dinner table smiling and around the house, my sister in her room with her vintage clothes she looks so pretty in, her being silly with a doughnut and softly smiling with the light of the sun on her, a visit to my Grandparents -my Grandma peeking through the window before my Grandpa came out to get what we brought, my dog Koda and so many moments in between. Moments that were my subject this semester are what I tend to take pictures of for the most part anyway but this time was able to share them! Which is really neat to be able to all share moments of our lives together based on what catches our eye or is important to us. So many moments in these photos are on walks either with my Mom and dog or by myself and I’m so grateful for each of these moments in these photos. I have always loved birds because of their singing and their different colors and their flying and everything about them is so beautiful and I was able to take pictures of many this semester and I was so excited each time! Flowers are also beautiful, the different colors, the smell, the delicate work of each of them. I was really comforted by and had so much joy in the moments with the warm light of the sun and was hoping to have photos where you can see that. Specifically the photo with the light coming through my window, which to me also looks like a cross and reminds me of the peace of Jesus and who He is, that part of my room is where I have spent much of this quarantine doing work, reading, looking out the window, on zoom calls for class and Bible study, much of my time has been spent near that window and so that photo is one of my favorites. This entire time I have been using the same camera, my sony and that little thing comes with me wherever I go(when it has a charge for the battery.) It has worked well and I’m grateful for it as a tool. What has been different about making work in this pandemic is that it has caused me to not approach as many people as many people as I would before to take their photos and learn about their story, however I am looking forward to be able to hopefully to that again. Something I think I will take away from this experience is to take my camera on a walk with me more, to be able to take more pictures of birds and nature in general and to continue taking family photos or photos in general for neighbors and what a blessing that can be for them. The reason I have the photo of the rainbow at the top is because one night this semester I was struggling and having a hard time and was reminded of the rainbow and how many beautiful things are in this world. Although there are hard times, pain, devastation and confusion, there is beauty, there is good, there is strength, there is hope, there is peace, there is love, there is salvation. I was reminded that the same God who gave us the rainbow in the sky after it rains because of His promise to never flood the earth again is the same God who made me and you and the same God who made the earth and all that is in it. When I started thinking about the rainbow and how amazing it is that we have a visual reminder from God in the sky when it rains. A reminder that there is good in this world, but even better the one who made the good in the world made you and if you seek Him you will find Him! Whatever you may be going through there is a hope that is greater than any hope because of who it comes from! May God bless you! John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Genesis 9:12-17 English Standard Version (ESV) 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Toni Morris-Final This semester I was hoping to continue taking portraits of people and learning about their story, what they believe and why and helping them see that what they believe is important. I think some of the beauty of taking photos of people is seeing someone smile. I also love being able to hear stories and thoughts of what people are currently going through and am grateful for them sharing with me and trusting me. As a follower of Jesus Christ my heart is for the gospel. Freshman year was around the time I began living for the Lord, sophomore year I was baptized and now as a senior graduating this week I am grateful as I think about the ways God has used photography in my life to grow my faith in Him. With the photography project of taking portraits of people and learning about their belief it has helped me lean not on the confidence I have, because I have never been very confident, but Jesus has taught me to trust in Him and be confident in Him. And so with each photo, each name, each story, was another chance to learn about what others believe while sharing about my hope in Christ. Christians, Catholics, agnostics, atheists, hindus, muslims, pagans and those who are not sure what they believe, each conversation I learned more about other perspectives, hopefully made them feel noticed and loved and the faith that I have was strengthened defending and explaining about it. Since the pandemic my subject matter temporarily changed because of social distancing, but also because I wanted to appreciate the time that my family is all home together and the slower pace of the world in many ways. Though my subject matter has not really changed, as I have still been speaking with people over the phone and video call about what they believe for news stories I am writing for class, which has been a blessing. I am also hoping to continue the photos this summer and on! So for this semester, I really enjoyed taking photos of my family. My mom on walks with my dog, around the house, bringing back mushrooms her and my sister got from mushroom hunting to batter and fry, like my mom did with her stepdad, my Dad at the dinner table smiling and around the house, my sister in her room with her vintage clothes she looks so pretty in, her being silly with a doughnut and softly smiling with the light of the sun on her, a visit to my Grandparents -my Grandma peeking through the window before my Grandpa came out to get what we brought, my dog Koda and so many moments in between. Moments that were my subject this semester are what I tend to take pictures of for the most part anyway but this time was able to share them! Which is really neat to be able to all share moments of our lives together based on what catches our eye or is important to us. So many moments in these photos are on walks either with my Mom and dog or by myself and I’m so grateful for each of these moments in these photos. I have always loved birds because of their singing and their different colors and their flying and everything about them is so beautiful and I was able to take pictures of many this semester and I was so excited each time! Flowers are also beautiful, the different colors, the smell, the delicate work of each of them. I was really comforted by and had so much joy in the moments with the warm light of the sun and was hoping to have photos where you can see that. Specifically the photo with the light coming through my window, which to me also looks like a cross and reminds me of the peace of Jesus and who He is, that part of my room is where I have spent much of this quarantine doing work, reading, looking out the window, on zoom calls for class and Bible study, much of my time has been spent near that window and so that photo is one of my favorites. This entire time I have been using the same camera, my sony and that little thing comes with me wherever I go(when it has a charge for the battery.) It has worked well and I’m grateful for it as a tool. What has been different about making work in this pandemic is that it has caused me to not approach as many people as many people as I would before to take their photos and learn about their story, however I am looking forward to be able to hopefully to that again. Something I think I will take away from this experience is to take my camera on a walk with me more, to be able to take more pictures of birds and nature in general and to continue taking family photos or photos in general for neighbors and what a blessing that can be for them. The reason I have the photo of the rainbow at the top is because one night this semester I was struggling and having a hard time and was reminded of the rainbow and how many beautiful things are in this world. Although there are hard times, pain, devastation and confusion, there is beauty, there is good, there is strength, there is hope, there is peace, there is love, there is salvation. I was reminded that the same God who gave us the rainbow in the sky after it rains because of His promise to never flood the earth again is the same God who made me and you and the same God who made the earth and all that is in it. When I started thinking about the rainbow and how amazing it is that we have a visual reminder from God in the sky when it rains. A reminder that there is good in this world, but even better the one who made the good in the world made you and if you seek Him you will find Him! Whatever you may be going through there is a hope that is greater than any hope because of who it comes from! May God bless you! John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Genesis 9:12-17 English Standard Version (ESV) 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”