After spending 25 years in South Bend, Indiana, Juliane Morris is embracing life back in California.
“I moved there for my ex’s graduate school, and we thought we’d be away for five years from UCLA.
Life happened, and so instead of five years, it turned into 30,” she reflects with a laugh.
Now residing in Coronado since early 2022, Juliane’s connection to the island goes back much further.
“My parents have been here for 25 years, so I’ve been visiting since before I moved.
As an empty nester, I wanted to spend more quality time with my parents,” she shares about her decision to settle in the picturesque coastal community.
Juliane’s professional background in marketing has become a powerful tool for her volunteer work in the Coronado community.
She is dedicated to helping local nonprofits refine their brand messages and forge meaningful connections.
“My professional experience with marketing primarily involves helping a brand find its voice.
In volunteer organizations, it’s about supporting their mission and vision while sharing their story.
There’s a storytelling aspect to marketing that involves visual arts, photography, and written content.
A compelling story helps engage people and adds emotional significance to the cause.”
As an active member of the Rotary Club of Coronado, Juliane applies her marketing skills to promote community events.
“I take pictures regularly at the meetings and create print banners for events on Orange Avenue,
which helps raise awareness and attendance,” Juliane explains.
She elaborates on the behind-the-scenes work involved in banner creation.
“It combines typography, design work, and photography to draw attention.
This increases participation in our events, which are major fundraisers for both local and international causes.”
A highlight for the Rotary Club is the Coronado Wine Tasting event held at the former Hansen Mansion.
“Last year, we raised over $200,000 at this event, primarily benefiting the End Polio Now initiative.
This year, we’re adding Safe Harbor Coronado as another recipient of the funds.
We aim to make a difference both locally and internationally,” she says with pride.
In addition to her work with Rotary, Juliane is also the Panels Manager for the Coronado Island Film Festival, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.
“We typically host three to five panel discussions.
The topics vary, focusing on women directors or the impact of disabilities in film.
I’m particularly excited about our 10th anniversary, and as a member of the benefactors committee, I regularly attend events with them,” she notes enthusiastically.
Juliane’s insights into the significance of film festivals reflect her deep passion for cinema.
“I love movies and the festival provides new filmmakers with opportunities to showcase their work.
My marketing background allows me to appreciate how we provide exposure for screenwriters and filmmakers,” she adds.
After films, discussions often revolve around the directors’ intentions and deeper meanings that films convey.
“Movies can illuminate social issues and foster greater empathy and compassion.
They help us understand different perspectives, allowing us to experience others’ triumphs and tragedies vicariously,” Juliane explains.
Juliane credits her parents, Vicki and Ed Morris, for instilling a sense of community service within her.
“They have modeled a lifetime of service, and that’s one reason I like to be involved.
Giving back also enriches one’s life greatly.”
Her creative journey began at a young age, evident in her childhood schoolwork.
“When I look through my old papers, there are phrases describing me as creative and ambitious.
Although I tried drawing and painting, I discovered my true passion for photography at 15.
I loved the way I could frame a scene and learned about composition early on,” she reminisces.
As she grew, her photography skills evolved significantly.
“In my twenties, I won a photo contest with an image of my cat in a tree, which encouraged me to delve deeper into photography.
Despite being busy with my career and raising two children, I treasured the moments I could capture.”
During this time, Juliane worked as a professional wedding photographer and homeschooled her children.
“I shot weddings on weekends, finding excitement in capturing the right moments and editing the photos,” she recalls.
As the photography world transitioned to digital, she embraced the new era with tools like Adobe Photoshop.
“Now I primarily use Adobe Lightroom, which allows for incredible modifications while maintaining the original intent of the shot.”
With her children now grown, Juliane has the opportunity to immerse herself in photography once again.
“I derive immense satisfaction from taking and editing photos, sharing many of my works across social media platforms like Coronado Happenings and The 92118.
It’s rewarding to see people respond positively to my work, evoking nostalgia or peace,” she shares passionately.
Her niche photography captures emotive moments and silhouettes, allowing viewers to relate to her subjects.
“I love capturing candid expressions; those split-second moments that fleetingly reveal true emotion.
During the Fourth of July, I focused on fireworks, only to discover a young girl with an American flag in my frame.
Her silhouette against the fireworks created a visually striking image that resonates with anyone who cherishes memories of celebrations,” she recounts.
Juliane places great importance on authenticity in her photography.
“It’s essential for me to capture reality as I find it rather than manipulating the moment.
For instance, when photographing autumn leaves in Indiana, I chose to document them as they appeared naturally, instead of arranging them.
The integrity of the moment matters to me.”
Her transition to Coronado sparked a desire to forge connections with her new community.
As a new empty nester, Juliane found herself with more time than ever.
“I’ve always been interested in social media, particularly for education and entertainment.
When I started sharing captions on Coronado Happenings, I unknowingly began forming connections.
That led to a friendship with Joel [Ortiz], a fellow photographer who reignited my technical photography skills after years away from the craft.”
Through their collaboration, Juliane and Joel developed a unique approach to photography by becoming dueling photographers.
“I had a dream about doing simultaneous photography with different styles on the same subject.
We organized events for senior portraits, showing how unique each photographer’s perspective can be, even in similar settings,” she explains.
For those navigating their way in Coronado, Juliane encourages others to connect.
“Explore your interests to find the right groups and engage in community service opportunities.
I had the pleasure of serving on the Coronado Fourth of July staff as the PR and marketing lead, an experience that emerged through my growing connections.”
Additionally, Juliane shares her faith as a guiding force.
“Exploring different places of worship has enhanced my sense of community and service.
The simple act of attending events has helped me meet inspiring individuals who share my drive for involvement.
I recently joined the Coronado Island Beer Club, which has been a delightful experience!”
Juliane Morris exemplifies how a passion for creativity and community can shape one’s life, enhancing connections and fostering meaningful contributions in a vibrant community.
image source from：coronadotimes
