Jonard Valdoz
Of God and Man; Of Light and Dark
Submitter Statement:
The light of God is not only around us—it is within us. It does not vanish in darkness; it shines brighter because of it. In Matthew 5:14–16, Christ teaches that we are the light of the world, and that light is not meant to be hidden. My journey has taught me that even when we feel most alone, the divine light never leaves us—it simply travels with us, step by step.
This image is not of many people, but one. A man ascending a silent mountain in the dark. Each flame represents a former self, a moment of faith carried forward. The path is not linear, and the ascent is slow, but the same light that began the journey continues to burn.
My time at BYU was one such flame. A pivotal light on my path. It was a sacred space where I wrestled with God, asked impossible questions, and began to see that faith is not certainty—it is movement. It is choosing light even when clarity fades. It is choosing faith when all else fails. Now, outside of BYU, I carry that light into the world through presence. Through compassion. Through creating beauty. The journey of discipleship is not about standing still in our brightest moments, but carrying their memory with us as we climb onward, into the unknown, into the world.
Entry Description
This long-exposure composite photograph captures a lone figure ascending a dune under the vast midnight sky in central Utah. The image symbolizes an inner journey through darkness—each glowing figure a past self, carrying the same light forward. The final piece is a merged composite of over 20 photographs, carefully layered to reveal both the brilliance of the Milky Way and the quiet progression of the subject across the landscape.
Photographed using a Sony Alpha a7II camera with a 12mm Tamron lens, the final image measures 11264 × 7868 pixels. Image processing was done using Sequator for sky stacking and Adobe Creative Suite for compositing, color grading, and blending.
This piece is not merely a night scene—it is a visual meditation on perseverance, memory, and the enduring presence of divine light amid darkness.