Series | Dark Light

F I N E  A R T  P H O T O G R A P H Y

The Dark Light Series grew from internal struggles I had growing up. I had to accept my faith; I had to accept that not everyone else was going to accept my faith. I also had my own questions and doubts. I really did not know how to handle what I was feeling and experiencing.

Once I started college, much later in life, I was old enough to understand and explain who I am, what I believe, and why I believe it.

However, the problem was I still could not talk to many people about Christ without being pigeon-holed or feeling out of place. I needed a place where I could express myself freely, say what I wanted to say, without fear of rejection or ridicule. Maybe, in silence, people could hear me.

Hence, this Series was born. I needed to practice my control of strobe lights for a class project and come up with an original concept for a series of photographs. I knew I wanted to use a single light to represent the presence of God. The extra negative space would also serve as a placement for Him.

I am not an emotional person. My feelings are kept internally. Still, for this series, I attempted to show glimpses of different emotions as genuinely as I could.

Once I began to edit the scenes, the story of my life became evident. I was a man hiding from God, hiding from the light in the darkness. Even when I stepped into the light, my life was never perfect, and I felt alone.

Over time, I learned how to not be ashamed of my faith in God. I am still reminding myself to remain calm in the midst of the normal challenges of life.

Just because things go wrong does not mean God doesn’t love me anymore.