College student Briana Morris is exhibiting and selling photographs at 606 State Street Gallery in downtown Bristol, Tenn. The images of local landmarks, musical instruments, and overseas travels are proving so popular that her exhibit has been extended through the end of October (2010).
"Photography captures only small portions of God's beauty, but small portions we can revisit day after day," Briana says.
"I love pictures, but I never had a camera of my own. I asked for and received a camera for Christmas in 2008 and immediately started taking pictures. My family and friends really encouraged me by positively commenting on the pictures I took, which led me to keep taking them. I ended up finding something I thoroughly enjoy doing."
Briana uses a Canon PowerShot SX10 IS (a point-and shoot-camera). She says, "I haven't used an external flash in any of my photos on display at the gallery, but some portraits I have done for individuals have required an external flash for lighting purposes."
Her favorite subjects are people - especially close-ups. "I love expressions!Capturing that one moment that tells a story is my favorite thing to experience during a photo session," she says. "If I'm not photographing people, I love stationary objects. I like structural contrast (buildings, signs, etc.) and finding different perspectives/ways to view everyday objects."
She recently got the chance to go overseas and jumped at the opportunity. She says, "I had never been out of the country and had always wanted to go to two places: England and Australia (not just because of the accents, although that was one of the reasons). I traveled overseas with my aunt, who had been to England before. She wanted to go back and knew I had always wanted to go, so she invited me to go with her for the experience - and for the pictures. I am so blessed! It was truly amazing and I hope to be able to go back someday." Briana took pictures of landmarks such as Big Ben, Parliament, and Stonehenge, as well as photographs of animals, nature, landscapes, and architectural structures.
Her photography has been recognized in several regional exhibitions. She placed first and second in the Young Adult Color Category and third in the Amateur Monochrome category in the 2010 Bristol Sign Photo Contest hosted by the Twin City Photo Club. Her work placed second in the Color Category at the 2010 Appalachian Fair in Gray, Tenn. She also participated in the 2010 Virginia Highlands Festival Photography Contest and the 2010 Rhythm and Roots Reunion Photo Contest.
Briana is also an alumni of the Bristol Area Youth Council, which encourages high school students to get involved in the community. She says, "After being a part of that organization, my friend Nicholas Ratliff and I designed a mural to go on a wall inside of the building in 2009. We, along with two of our friends, painted the mural, which is still on display."
The daughter of Fay and Howard Morris, 18-year-old Briana graduated from Bristol Virginia High School in 2009 and from Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC) in 2010 with an Associate of Arts and Sciences in General Studies. Her photograph of a rose was featured in The Howl, a quarterly magazine published by VHCC.
Briana is now studying Digital Media with a concentration in Digital Interaction at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. "I plan to go into the field with extensive knowledge in web design, interactive design, graphic design, as well as continue to do free-lance photography," she says.
