From darkness to the light.
How Stunning Portraits Illuminate the I WANT TO KNOW Campaign Story.
The Brief
Bible translation alliance illumiNations has a mission: reaching the more than 1 billion people alive today without a Bible in their language. It’s a mission so big that you can barely wrap your mind around it! But when illumiNations asked me to capture photographs that could tell the story of 1 billion Bibleless people, I jumped at the chance to take on this once-in-a-lifetime project.
The Process
The theme of the illumiNations campaign was “I Want to Know.” Its overall messaging was serious–after all, 1 billion people without the Bible in their language is a serious problem. But there were also elements of hope, and an opportunity for people across America to respond to this campaign by supporting Bible translation work. As the lead photographer on this project, I got to sit at the table with some of the best in the business to help shape this campaign. We had several models from language groups without the Bible lined up to work with us. Our creative partners knew they wanted powerful portraits of each person. The only question was how to create the perfect picture that could visually communicate the need for Bible translation.
As a photographer, I was thrilled with the task of brainstorming how to take these portraits to the next level. I believe that the human face can often tell the most compelling stories. There’s nothing quite as moving as a good portrait–whether it’s in an art museum, on a billboard, or on a LinkedIn profile. And as a big fan of both photography and the Bible, I also know all about the importance of light and darkness. These ideas merged into a creative vision that shaped our approach to this campaign.
I started with a dark, simple background, which helped our models appear as if they were emerging out of the darkness and into the light. I kept a tight focus on each model’s face, bringing the viewer up close and personal. I also spent time helping our models communicate their stories with their expressions. As a photographer, I have learned that expression coaching is a key part of any good portrait photography skill set. Many times, the slightest prompts can result in a completely different expression–and a completely different story. I helped our models communicate the weight of the need for Bible translation without accidentally expressing the wrong emotions like sadness, anger, fear, or pain. The result is a set of high-quality portraits that tug on your heartstrings as you make eye contact with each model.
Once we had our portraits, we used my creative vision as the jumping-off point for our videographer. His video interviews with our models mirrored my portraits, expanding their stories in a new way. Together, we created all the visual assets for a clean and cohesive campaign that perfectly complemented our models’ stories.
Sample Facebook Feed ads conceptualized by Haven, the marketing agency behind Illuminations’ “I Want to Know" campaign.
The Result
In 2021, illumiNations launched the national campaign, which was billed as the largest awareness campaign ever for Bible translation. In addition to digital and print ads and billboards, my portraits were featured on multiple news sites, shown in ads at conferences, and highlighted in major donor communications. Getting the press attention and seeing my photographs on billboards was unforgettable, but I’m more proud of the way this campaign helped people consider the needs of others through simple, powerful portraits.
Let’s Capture Portraits That Tell Your Story!
Behind every brand or campaign are people–even if it’s just you, promoting your own personal brand! Keeping people front and center through portrait photography can help you tell your story. Whether you need a creative vision for a multi-million dollar ad campaign, new LinkedIn headshots that can show people who you really are, or coaching on how to look your best in photos, I’m here to help tell your story.