Harnessing the Power of Photography for a Humanitarian Advocacy Campaign
Executing a successful photography campaign demands not just technical proficiency behind the lens, but also experience working with others who have diverse backgrounds and skills. In fact, capturing great images is often just the culmination of a herculean effort involving many people over an extended period of time.
One example from my own experience took place in 2019, when UNICEF asked me to develop the content for a campaign advocating for the protection of children living in war.
Planning
For this campaign, I envisioned a series of twelve distinctive, lit environmental portraits featuring children from three different countries grappling with armed conflict: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and the Philippines.
Consistency was paramount: each scene would be carefully lit, framed, and the subjects would be posed similarly to create a unified aesthetic across the entire series.
Opting for full-body shots, I would ensure that each subject maintained their gaze directed at the camera, accentuated by a catchlight.
Locations and backgrounds would serve as part of the narrative.
Equipment
In choosing camera and lighting equipment, I prioritized portability, power, quick setup, and robustness against potential damage.
My kit comprised lightweight, battery-operated lighting equipment stowed in a suitcase for checked luggage, complemented by a compact carry-on camera bag for additional gear.
I also created a digital post-production workflow, similar to a recipe, using retouching software. This ensured consistent color grading and a uniform “look and feel” throughout the series of images, despite having created them at different times and places across three continents.
Afghanistan
Ehsanullah, aged 11, in a classroom at his secondary school in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan. Despite suffering heavy damage from fighting between insurgents and US forces in 2007, the school continued to function. ©Marko Kokic/UNICEF 2019
In Afghanistan, security loomed as a chief concern. Spring brought a surge in hostilities, requiring careful planning with UNICEF colleagues stationed in-country. Prior to my arrival, weeks of groundwork went into selecting child subjects, finding safer locations, and securing permissions from government authorities, community leaders, parents, and schools. Once on the ground, armed escorts in separate vehicles accompanied me as I traveled between locations in an armored SUV.
To minimize the risk of attack or kidnapping attempts, we were restricted to one hour and a half per location. There was no time to lose. During each shoot, I instructed that my translator, doubling as a lighting assistant, keep track of time and provide updates every twenty minutes for the initial hour, and then every ten minutes for the remaining half hour. As we approached the final ten minutes, I wanted to start packing up and be on our way by the deadline.
Nigeria
In Nigeria, logistical challenges demanded we fly using UN helicopters to remote villages in Borno State, bypassing perilous roads vulnerable to ambushes. Despite the protection of the Nigerian army in each village, we didn’t linger, aware of the lurking threat of surprise attacks.
Mohammed, aged 12, sits in a classroom at Banki Primary School in Borno State, Nigeria. He and his family fled their village in 2017 when it was attacked by an armed group, resulting in the destruction of his school and the killing of his schoolteacher. ©Marko Kokic/UNICEF 2019
The Philippines
Travelling to the strife-torn island of Mindanao in the Philippines posed its own set of hurdles. Marawi, a city ravaged by months of fighting and left devoid of people, stood as a poignant backdrop for our campaign. With access limited to a mere hour, pre-scouting locations was not possible, compelling me to improvise on-site by bringing the child subjects along and having my driver double as a lighting assistant.
Farlea, aged 17, amidst the ruins of Marawi city on Mindanao Island, southern Philippines. The city was devastated during months of intense urban warfare in 2017, when armed groups seized control before being ousted by the Philippine Armed Forces. Farlea fled the city during the fighting to seek refuge with relatives in a safer part of the island. ©Marko Kokic/UNICEF 2019
Results
Despite formidable challenges, these missions were successful.
The signature portraits and accompanying stories:
were used to spearhead UNICEF's campaign advocating for the protection of children living in war,
were featured on UNICEF's many digital platforms,
earned recognition from the organization’s leadership,
resulted in widespread publication across mainstream media outlets, and
the content was shared and used by other advocacy organizations championing a similar cause.
One portrait from this series, not shown above, also received recognition in an international photography competition.
