Have you ever felt like you don’t belong? Like you’re not good enough, or others wouldn’t choose you? Yeah—me too. A lot. In this video, I open up about a story from high school that shaped how I see myself, others, and the way we all wrestle with questions of worth and identity. From being captured alone in a yearbook photo to learning how connection is forged through curiosity and empathy, this isn’t just a story about the past—it’s about the tension I still feel today as a filmmaker, father, and husband. And maybe—just maybe—our doubts aren’t signals to stop. Maybe they’re invitations to push deeper. Like Rembrandt, who shaped light through the dark, maybe our shadow side is exactly where the light begins to shine. This isn’t about polished success. It’s about showing up in the tension and letting the cracks be the place the light gets in. If you’ve ever questioned your place, your value, or your voice—this one’s for you. Subscribe for more raw reflections and honest stories on creativity, faith, and the in-between. Let me know below—how have you wrestled with belonging? ⌁⌁⌁ We are all storytellers—it's woven into the fabric of our humanity. As a filmmaker, I honor this tradition by bringing stories to life—of people, their pain, their triumphs—each one uniquely its own. Yet every story, no matter how different, holds a truth worth sharing. What's yours? Let's Connect: joshloveslight.com ⌁⌁⌁ ESSENTIAL KIT: A Cam: Canon C70 (RAW LT, C-Log2) B Cam: Canon R5c (RAW LT, C-Log2 in post) Everyday Cam: Canon M50 II Auto-Focus Lenses: Sigma Art EF Vintage Lenses: Vivitar M42 Mount paired with the Helios 44-2, Olympus OM Zuiko, Chinon Light: Zhiyum Molus G300 Services I Use: Audiio (use code SAVE70 to recieve 70% off a year Pro Subscription): https://audiio.com/partner?oid=1&affid=1913 Pixpa (Website Design - Get 55% off and Annual Plan with code PXREF55): https://www.pixpa.com?via=joshua27 Moxie (Best CRM for Freelancers - First Month is free with this referral code): https://www.withmoxie.com/?_get=joshua47&_get=joshua47&fp_sid=yt Novo (Banking - Get $40 when you sign up with my referral code JoshuaCook1): https://onboarding.novo.co/signup?referral_code=JoshuaCook1&first_name=Joshua My description includes Affiliate links. I’m supposed to disclose that they earn me money. Everyone has a story worth sharing. Filmmaker ⌁ Director ⌁ Cinematographer Documentary // Branded Series // Commercial // Short-film

“You couldn’t pay me to do video...” — and now it’s all I want to do. Watch the full story here: https://youtu.be/bGZvUfkciZw?si=CiQWZnIqvKej40JP At 41, I left a stable full-time job and jumped into filmmaking full-time. But it wasn’t always the plan. In fact, I swore I’d never do video. I started with photography—fell in love with storytelling through stills, built a business, found success. But something always felt... incomplete. Then one unexpected project flipped the script. A simple video for an insurance company. And I was hooked. This is the story of how I went from stubborn stills photographer to documentary filmmaker—capturing stories that move people, inspire change, and connect hearts. If you’ve ever wrestled with your calling, made a pivot later in life, or doubted your path—this one’s for you.

“You couldn’t pay me to do video...” — and now it’s all I want to do. At 41, I left a stable full-time job and jumped into filmmaking full-time. But it wasn’t always the plan. In fact, I swore I’d never do video. I started with photography—fell in love with storytelling through stills, built a business, found success. But something always felt... incomplete. Then one unexpected project flipped the script. A simple video for an insurance company. And I was hooked. This is the story of how I went from stubborn stills photographer to documentary filmmaker—capturing stories that move people, inspire change, and connect hearts. If you’ve ever wrestled with your calling, made a pivot later in life, or doubted your path—this one’s for you. ⌁ We are all storytellers—it's woven into the fabric of our humanity. As a filmmaker, I honor this tradition by bringing stories to life—of people, their pain, their triumphs—each one uniquely its own. Yet every story, no matter how different, holds a truth worth sharing. What's yours? Let's Connect:    / joshloveslight My Website: joshloveslight.com Everyone has a story worth sharing. Filmmaker ⌁ Director ⌁ Cinematographer Documentary // Branded Series // Commercial // Short-film ESSENTIAL KIT: A Cam: Canon C70 (RAW LT, C-Log2) B Cam: Canon R5c (RAW LT, C-Log2 in post) Everyday Cam: Canon M50 II Auto-Focus Lenses: Sigma Art EF Vintage Lenses: Vivitar M42 Mount paired with the Helios 44-2, Olympus OM Zuiko, Chinon Light: Zhiyum Molus G300 SERVICES THAT I RECOMMEND: Audiio (use code SAVE70 to recieve 70% off a year Pro Subscription): https://audiio.com/partner?oid=1&affid=1913 Pixpa (Website Design - Get 55% off and Annual Plan with code PXREF55): https://www.pixpa.com?via=joshua27 Moxie (Best CRM for Freelancers - First Month is free with this referral code): https://www.withmoxie.com/?_get=joshua47&_get=joshua47&fp_sid=yt Novo (Banking - Get $40 when you sign up with my referral code JoshuaCook1): https://onboarding.novo.co/signup?referral_code=JoshuaCook1&first_name=Joshua My description includes Affiliate links. I’m supposed to disclose that they earn me money.

⌁ We are all storytellers—it's woven into the fabric of our humanity. As a filmmaker, I honor this tradition by bringing stories to life—of people, their pain, their triumphs—each one uniquely its own. Yet every story, no matter how different, holds a truth worth sharing. What's yours? Let's Connect:  / joshloveslight My Website: joshloveslight.com Everyone has a story worth sharing. Filmmaker ⌁ Director ⌁ Cinematographer Documentary // Branded Series // Commercial // Short-film ESSENTIAL KIT: A Cam: Canon C70 (RAW LT, C-Log2) B Cam: Canon R5c (RAW LT, C-Log2 in post) Everyday Cam: Canon M50 II Auto-Focus Lenses: Sigma Art EF Vintage Lenses: Vivitar M42 Mount paired with the Helios 44-2, Olympus OM Zuiko, Chinon Light: Zhiyum Molus G300 SERVICES THAT I RECOMMEND: Audiio: https://audiio.com Pixpa (Website Design - Get 55% off and Annual Plan with code PXREF55): https://www.pixpa.com?via=joshua27 Moxie (Best CRM for Freelancers - First Month is free with this referral code): https://www.withmoxie.com/?_get=joshua47&_get=joshua47&fp_sid=yt Novo (Banking - Get $40 when you sign up with my referral code JoshuaCook1): https://onboarding.novo.co/signup?referral_code=JoshuaCook1&first_name=Joshua My description includes Affiliate links. I’m supposed to disclose that they earn me money.

⌁ We are all storytellers—it's woven into the fabric of our humanity. As a filmmaker, I honor this tradition by bringing stories to life—of people, their pain, their triumphs—each one uniquely its own. Yet every story, no matter how different, holds a truth worth sharing. What's yours? Let's Connect:  / joshloveslight My Website: joshloveslight.com Everyone has a story worth sharing. Filmmaker ⌁ Director ⌁ Cinematographer Documentary // Branded Series // Commercial // Short-film ESSENTIAL KIT: A Cam: Canon C70 (RAW LT, C-Log2) B Cam: Canon R5c (RAW LT, C-Log2 in post) Everyday Cam: Canon M50 II Auto-Focus Lenses: Sigma Art EF Vintage Lenses: Vivitar M42 Mount paired with the Helios 44-2, Olympus OM Zuiko, Chinon Light: Zhiyum Molus G300 SERVICES THAT I RECOMMEND: Audiio: https://audiio.com Pixpa (Website Design - Get 55% off and Annual Plan with code PXREF55): https://www.pixpa.com?via=joshua27 Moxie (Best CRM for Freelancers - First Month is free with this referral code): https://www.withmoxie.com/?_get=joshua47&_get=joshua47&fp_sid=yt Novo (Banking - Get $40 when you sign up with my referral code JoshuaCook1): https://onboarding.novo.co/signup?referral_code=JoshuaCook1&first_name=Joshua My description includes Affiliate links. I’m supposed to disclose that they earn me money.

⌁ We are all storytellers—it's woven into the fabric of our humanity. As a filmmaker, I honor this tradition by bringing stories to life—of people, their pain, their triumphs—each one uniquely its own. Yet every story, no matter how different, holds a truth worth sharing. What's yours? Let's Connect:  / joshloveslight My Website: joshloveslight.com Everyone has a story worth sharing. Filmmaker ⌁ Director ⌁ Cinematographer Documentary // Branded Series // Commercial // Short-film ESSENTIAL KIT: A Cam: Canon C70 (RAW LT, C-Log2) B Cam: Canon R5c (RAW LT, C-Log2 in post) Everyday Cam: Canon M50 II Auto-Focus Lenses: Sigma Art EF Vintage Lenses: Vivitar M42 Mount paired with the Helios 44-2, Olympus OM Zuiko, Chinon Light: Zhiyum Molus G300 SERVICES THAT I RECOMMEND: Audiio: https://audiio.com Pixpa (Website Design - Get 55% off and Annual Plan with code PXREF55): https://www.pixpa.com?via=joshua27 Moxie (Best CRM for Freelancers - First Month is free with this referral code): https://www.withmoxie.com/?_get=joshua47&_get=joshua47&fp_sid=yt Novo (Banking - Get $40 when you sign up with my referral code JoshuaCook1): https://onboarding.novo.co/signup?referral_code=JoshuaCook1&first_name=Joshua My description includes Affiliate links. I’m supposed to disclose that they earn me money.

⌁ We are all storytellers—it's woven into the fabric of our humanity. As a filmmaker, I honor this tradition by bringing stories to life—of people, their pain, their triumphs—each one uniquely its own. Yet every story, no matter how different, holds a truth worth sharing. What's yours? Let's Connect:  / joshloveslight My Website: joshloveslight.com Everyone has a story worth sharing. Filmmaker ⌁ Director ⌁ Cinematographer Documentary // Branded Series // Commercial // Short-film ESSENTIAL KIT: A Cam: Canon C70 (RAW LT, C-Log2) B Cam: Canon R5c (RAW LT, C-Log2 in post) Everyday Cam: Canon M50 II Auto-Focus Lenses: Sigma Art EF Vintage Lenses: Vivitar M42 Mount paired with the Helios 44-2, Olympus OM Zuiko, Chinon Light: Zhiyum Molus G300 SERVICES THAT I RECOMMEND: Audiio: https://audiio.com Pixpa (Website Design - Get 55% off and Annual Plan with code PXREF55): https://www.pixpa.com?via=joshua27 Moxie (Best CRM for Freelancers - First Month is free with this referral code): https://www.withmoxie.com/?_get=joshua47&_get=joshua47&fp_sid=yt Novo (Banking - Get $40 when you sign up with my referral code JoshuaCook1): https://onboarding.novo.co/signup?referral_code=JoshuaCook1&first_name=Joshua My description includes Affiliate links. I’m supposed to disclose that they earn me money.

⌁ We are all storytellers—it's woven into the fabric of our humanity. As a filmmaker, I honor this tradition by bringing stories to life—of people, their pain, their triumphs—each one uniquely its own. Yet every story, no matter how different, holds a truth worth sharing. What's yours? Let's Connect:  / joshloveslight My Website: joshloveslight.com Everyone has a story worth sharing. Filmmaker ⌁ Director ⌁ Cinematographer Documentary // Branded Series // Commercial // Short-film ESSENTIAL KIT: A Cam: Canon C70 (RAW LT, C-Log2) B Cam: Canon R5c (RAW LT, C-Log2 in post) Everyday Cam: Canon M50 II Auto-Focus Lenses: Sigma Art EF Vintage Lenses: Vivitar M42 Mount paired with the Helios 44-2, Olympus OM Zuiko, Chinon Light: Zhiyum Molus G300 SERVICES THAT I RECOMMEND: Audiio: https://audiio.com Pixpa (Website Design - Get 55% off and Annual Plan with code PXREF55): https://www.pixpa.com?via=joshua27 Moxie (Best CRM for Freelancers - First Month is free with this referral code): https://www.withmoxie.com/?_get=joshua47&_get=joshua47&fp_sid=yt Novo (Banking - Get $40 when you sign up with my referral code JoshuaCook1): https://onboarding.novo.co/signup?referral_code=JoshuaCook1&first_name=Joshua My description includes Affiliate links. I’m supposed to disclose that they earn me money.

Filmmaker ⌁ Director ⌁ Cinematographer Your story belongs here. Everyone has a story worth sharing. We are all storytellers—it's woven into the fabric of our humanity. As a filmmaker, I honor this tradition by bringing stories to life—of people, their pain, their triumphs—each one uniquely its own. Yet every story, no matter how different, holds a truth worth sharing. What's yours? It needs to be seen and I want to help you tell it. From visual narratives to strategic deliverables, let's curate the elements of your brand's story to capture and activate your audience. Documentary // Branded Series // Commercial // Short-film

Marquis Bowden embarks on his entrepreneurial journey as a mobile car detailer, navigating the dual challenge of self-sufficiency and the pursuit of his dream to become one of the United States' elite marathoners. As he delves deeper into his work, he uncovers profound personal revelations about the nature of love and the experience of being loved.

"Survival is the strongest reinforcement for behavior that there is." - Lottie Grimes A Josh Loves Light studios production in association with Groundwork Ranch. Groundwork Ranch is a non-profit organization in Louisville, Colorado providing support to foster parents through the use of therapy animals who have experienced their own trauma and abuse. For more information about Groundwork Ranch and their incredible work, please visit: groundworkranch.org Directed, filmed + edited by Joshua Cook.