visual storytelling
I believe positive, compelling, and engaging visuals accompanied by concise commentaries are a powerful tool in attracting donors, convincing policymakers, and catalyzing fundraising efforts so much better than words alone.
I create authentic narratives that tell your story with impact and emotion. The aim is to evoke empathy and connect your audience to your cause/project/brand. A personal story creates a strong connection, a deep emotion, and an engaged public.
We base our decisions on emotions. The power of visual storytelling can change behavior and points of view.
I approach individuals with empathy and dignity. I am fluent in English, French, German, and Italian. I have lived in the United States, Europe and Africa and am currently based in Cameroon/Central Africa.
Please don't hesitate to contact me at emily@emilypinnaphotography.com
You can download my VISUAL STORYTELLING FOR DEVELOPMENT FLYER here.
United Nations EDU+ awareness campaign
I’ve produced a billboard campaign for EDU+ an initiative of five UN organizations (UNESCO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNWOMEN, UNFPA) pleading to keep girls in school at least until the age of 16 as HIV/AIDS infections go drastically down for that age group.
I’m responsible for the concept, recruitment of our champion Yannik Noah, casting of the models, hiring of the fashion designer, doing the actual photoshoot, collaborating for the messaging etc.
The billboards are currently displayed all over the country.
UNESCO
Unesco’s multisectoral regional office for Central Africa, based in Yaounde, Cameroon, works on projects in 10 countries in the region. Education, science and cultural heritage are the priorities. I work on projects with UNESCO in several countries.
CAMEROON:
For the UNESCO’s Culture sector I’ve produced an exhibition based on my photos telling the stories of the production of three world heritage textiles from Cameroon: the Ndop, Obom and Toghu, which had its avant-premiere during UNESCO’s recent DG visit to Yaounde.
For the Education sector I’ve produced video-stories on the Education Cannot Wait program, that supports education through innovative distance learning in the armed conflict areas in the SW and NW.
For the Science sector I’ve produced several video-stories highlighting how an alternative charcoal can replace fire wood for cooking and thus reduce deforestation and Cameroon’s rural areas.
For the Social Science sector I’ve facilitated a Human-Centered Design workshop to tackle youth involvement before, during and after the Biennale in Luanda.
For the Communications sector I’ve produced a video-story about Community radios.
CHAD:
I produced 4 video stories about the PREAT project, which supports literacy programs for children and adults 15+ years old.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA:
UNESCO has been tasked with the opening the Afro-American University of Central Africa and supporting its operation for the next five years. I’ve done AAUCA’s brand identity guideline, logo re-creation, communication strategy, photography and video-stories in Spanish, English and French
GIZ
GIZ’s programme (PARSE) trains over 5000 young people in the most vulnerable regions in the North of Cameroon. The project, financed by the European Union, strives to empower its participants in training them in a trade of choice and set them on an entrepreneurial path with business coaching and follow-up.
I produced a brochure highlighting six young people who’s live has been changed thanks to the program. The brochure can be downloaded HERE
UNDP
I facilitated a Human-Centered Design executive workshop for UN directors in Cameroon, to tackle the challenge of working together and think creatively towards the SDGs.
As part of an effort to enhance the unity of the people in Cameroon during the presidential elections in 2018, the UN tasked me to create a campaign reinforcing this.
UNOPS/TB REACH
TB reach’s goal is to prevent and eradicate tuberculosis (TB) in the poorest countries in the world.
I visited hospitals and labs in Douala, Cameroon which are affiliated with the program. I shadowed patients, nurses, doctors and lab assistants to photograph them and tell the story of the program through their eyes.
PICCINI
The Italian company Piccini has been tasked with building a state of the art soccer-stadium in Olembe, Yaounde.
My job was taking portraits of the 861 workers who’ve put their sweat into building the stadium, each of them in their work station. A book will be produced with all the portraits as a present to their workers.
Mission SOURIRE Sainte MARIE
A Cameroonian surgeon, Prof. Mouafo Tambo, specialized in pediatric congenital malformations, organizes frequent missions to reach children in remote areas of Cameroon who suffer from cleft lip/palate and offers surgery free of charge (subsidized by the Smile Train).
I was hired to accompany a mission to Cameroon’s South, Sangmelima, to assist their work and capture the stories of patients and families, to enhance their work and create awareness.
WFP VIDEO-STORIES
I produced 26 video-stories to enhance the visibility of the United Nations World Food Programme in Cameroon. It's about telling individual stories of the beneficiaries and looking at WFPs programs through their eyes. The video-stories were published on social media bi-monthly for a year.
HOPITAL D'EFOULAN
A maternity ward in a district hospital in Yaounde/Cameroon was given a donation of very needed items. The funds for the items were raised by iDance, an initiative who's aim is to raise funds through a annual fitness fundraiser event. This visual storytelling project was to provide iDance with powerful imagery to show the donated items in use and thus empower its mission to raise even more funds at the next event.
Orphanage st.Therese
This orphanage is run by one nun and is the home of currently 33 children. The conditions the children are living in are extreme, there is no toilet and the children share very old mattresses in 3-4 on one.
Rather than drawing attention to their plight by depicting their miserable living conditions, I started creating portraits of the children, showing their beauty - the next step will be collecting their stories, dreams and wishes.
This project is currently in progress.
dr.apple
For Dr. Apple, a DC based company who's aim is to cater nutritious and healthy food to children in DC Public Charter Schools, changing food habits one child at the time, I've created a website, brochures, marketing material as well as a book. The story I was telling thru the visuals was the story of how the meals who ended up on the trays of these children actually came about. The process of carefully selecting the food from local farmers, to the kitchen with different stations, to the labeling of different health related meals, to the timely delivery to each school's fridge to finally the distribution to the children, who often do not see another meal on that same day.
