Ken Duncan: a Photographer with a Message
Ken says, "People say to me, 'Well, Ken, how can you believe in God?' And I say, 'How can you not believe in God when you see the wonder and beauty of His creation around you?' The trouble is, why most people don't see it, they're moving too fast. They're locked into destinations rather than the journey. Hopefully with my pictures I try to slow them down a bit, to go wow! And open their hearts up to the reality there might be a God."
"I found Christ through the beauty of creation," Ken says, "because after photographing the beauty of creation awhile, you've got to ask yourself the question: 'How did this get here?' After awhile you realize this couldn't have happened by mistake."
Ken's landscape photographs are stunning, showing God's majestic sunsets, rock formations, and other gorgeous natural landscapes.
"On my whole journey, the thing I was really looking for was peace." Ken says, "I was really angry against Christianity. I had to learn to fight Christianity because I had such beautiful Christian parents. They weren't hypocrites. I couldn't even just say, 'Well, they're hypocrites.' I was fighting because I thought I had to, because I thought Christianity seemed too simple."
"When I went forward and asked Jesus into my life, I found what I'd been looking for during that whole journey, and I felt this incredible peace," he says. "The power of a great image is the anointing of God on that image. Not all of my images have that, but some God has given me as gifts. Look, I'm an average photographer with a great God. That's not false humility--and I'm getting more average every day!"
He explained how he came to have his mission.
"I was doing a lot of books in Australia. Then one day, about eight years ago, God woke me up at 3 o'clock in the morning. He said, 'If America abandons 'IN GOD WE TRUST' off their money, then I will abandon them as a nation.' I said, 'What am I going to do, God? You want me to do something about America. What do you want me to do?' He said, 'I want you to do a book, to walk the land, and as you walk the land, I'll give you the stories.' I thought, OK, so off we went."
"Your country is so blessed," Ken comments, talking about America. "God says He shows Himself through His handiwork so that all people are without excuse. America has some of the grandest landscapes in the world. I think God did that especially so you'd never lose trust in the One who's going to be your Salvation."
"My favorite verse in the Bible," he says, "is
: 'I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.' It's so exciting being a Christian!"This landscape photographer who specializes in panoramic views concludes, "Christianity, to me, is so exciting, like starting to tap into 'the bigger picture.' When you take big pictures, you need to have the 'big picture.'"
Finally, with a smile, this painter with a camera says, "Life as a Christian is just full of adventure."
