About the Baptism
One hot August morning in 1974 my life as a photojournalist changed forever in Cocoa, Florida when I picked up my photography assignments for the day.
I was assigned by my newspaper to photograph a local church’s baptism service at Clear Lake. I arrived at the site not knowing what to expect. As I approached the lake I saw about 30 white-robed church members praying and preparing for their baptism. As I positioned myself to begin taking photographs, I realized I would be witnessing something very special.
None of these folks paid any attention to me as they waded into the water toward the minister. I was amazed and awed for an hour as I moved into the water and photographed their powerful sacrament. I had never experienced anything like this ceremony in my life. The hair on my body stood up as I quietly observed and took photographs during their baptism. It seemed to me I was on auto-pilot but I worked through the service feeling extremely fortunate to witness this religious observance.
This baptism helped teach me about the goodness in the family of man. I will never forget the power of pure, sacred faith and love these people demonstrated and experienced while they prayed to God and were baptized in Clear Lake.
The experience was not so much about religion for me as it was about seeking universal truths and being a part of the goodness we are capable of in our lives with each other. The joy of life cannot be faked… It is real… I was humbled to have this chance to capture these people’s faces and emotions while they celebrated joyous life. The experience made me a better person and I hope my photos show this inspiration.
Red Morgan