When photography meets purpose, real change happens

The word "photography" finds its roots in the Greek words phōtós and graphé, which, when combined, describe the ability to create drawings with light. It’s a fitting description, not just of the artform itself, but also of the way in which meaningful photographs shed light on our world so that we may better understand it.

Few people appreciate the profound power of photography better than the purpose-driven photographers who challenge, educate, and inspire us to act through their art. We're excited to join photographers globally in celebrating exceptional humans and artists who have channelled their talents and passion to enact positive change. From renowned conservationists to chroniclers of life in far-away places, to fervent dog lovers, to champions of marginalized groups, their stories remind us that in the right hands, creativity is the ultimate change agent.

Cristina Mittermeier

Cristina Mittermeier is widely regarded as one of the most impactful conservation photographers of our time, but unlike many of her peers who can trace their love of photography back to childhood, Mittermeier was an adult when she picked up her first camera. In fact, she only took up photography in pursuit of her true calling: saving the natural world.

Despite the growing and disturbing evidence released each day about global climate change and dying natural habitats around the world, less than 2 percent of philanthropic contributions made in the United States go to the environment, according to Mittermeier. The challenge, she explains, is that facts and figures only go so far in driving change.

But where numbers fail, art thrives. While working as a marine biologist in Mexico, Mittermeier shared her office with a photographer who opened her eyes to the way in which images make people internalize stories in a more meaningful way. That simple realization 30 years ago inspired Mittermeier to make photography her storytelling medium of choice and she hasn’t put her camera down since.

For Mittermeier, the job of a conservation photographer is not just to click a shutter and create beautiful images. It’s a job of action, activism, and diplomacy. That’s why she founded the International League of Conservation Photographers, a global fellowship of photographers and filmmakers committed to driving genuine conservation impact through visual storytelling. She and her partner, Paul Nicklen, himself a renowned nature photographer, also founded SeaLegacy, an organization dedicated to preserving the world’s oceans.

A book to inspire, uplift, and send people off on their day with a new sense of hope; image source: Cristina Mittermeier.

Mittermeier’s latest project is “Hope,” a book that aims to build a community around the shared desire to remain hopeful and find the courage to get through life’s challenges. For Mittermeier, that challenge is saving the world. For others, it might be getting through a difficult emotional struggle. In a world where the odds often feel stacked against us, “Hope” is Mittermeier’s way of giving back to the planet and people she has photographed throughout her illustrious career.

Mittermeier had to sort through several million photos going back 30 years to find the perfect images for her passion project, a task that would not have been possible without the cataloging capabilities of Adobe Lightroom. So much so that she found herself thanking Lightroom each day while writing the book.

Hope has always been a driving force behind Mittermeier’s conservation efforts.

Natural beauty and color in our world; image source: Cristina Mittermeier.

Kiliii Yuyan

The son of Chinese American and East Asian indigenous parents, Kiliii Yuyan has straddled multiple worlds throughout his life and career. That richness of experience is reflected in the breadth of subjects he covers as a photographer, from the wildlife conservation images he shoots for “National Geographic,” to his underwater photography, to his documenting of indigenous issues.

As a voice for indigenous peoples, Yuyan is committed to illuminating the narrative about these communities and their relationship with the natural world. In sharing these stories, Yuyan hopes to inspire people and decision-makers around the world to rethink their views on conservation and humanity’s role in shaping our future.

“The narrative in conservation circles has always been that in order to preserve land you have to remove the humans, but indigenous communities are by far the most effective conservationists in the world, and they live as close to nature as you can get,” he says. “There’s so much we can learn from them, which is why it’s so important to shine a light on their stories.”

Like Mittermeier, Adobe Lightroom features heavily in Yuyan’s workflows. “The cataloging features in Lightroom are second to none. When I show other photographers what they can do with the software, they’re totally blown away,” he says.

Yuyan also appreciates that despite being a publicly owned technology company, Adobe has taken a lead in driving the ethnical adoption of powerful technologies like generative AI through programs like the Content Authenticity Initiative, which aims to protect artists like himself and the integrity of their work.

Esther Havens

As a humanitarian photographer, Esther Havens never forgets to put people first in her photos. Having worked with over 100 purpose-driven organizations in more than 75 countries, she is inspired by the power of images to change the world. Havens’ photographic stories have a unique talent for touching people’s hearts and pushing them to action, whether it’s bringing families out of poverty, getting essential medicines and clean water to remote communities, or empowering women in patriarchal societies.

When asked why photography is so effective for emotive storytelling, Havens’ response is as concise as it is profound.

As for what makes an image impactful, the key for Havens is connection. “Early in my career, I photographed to build a portfolio for my gain. I looked to photograph images of poverty that had shock value to them. But I didn’t know the people in my photographs or their names. I stayed at a distance and tried to be invisible. I thought that was the way I had to take pictures.”

Mpendubundi Godanse and her daughter in 2008 (left) and 2018 (right); images source: Esther Havens.

The turning point for Havens came during a fateful trip to Rwanda, where she was struck by the beauty and courage of a woman named Mpendubundi Godanse living in a village just outside of Kigali, who posed for one of her most iconic photographs. The aesthetic of that image — a heroic person bathed in strong off-camera light — persists in Havens’ work to this day. “Photographing this mother and daughter changed me as a photographer. To this day, we still see each other, and I continue to document their life. I realized here that beauty exists everywhere if we choose to see it,” she says.

Havens has used Adobe Photoshop to edit almost every photo in her catalog and loves how the solution allows her to make each shot and subject feel unique. “I’m not a technical shooter, I’m a feeler, and Photoshop lets me approach editing the same experimental way, which is amazing,” she says.

Cubby Graham

With 703 million people around the world lacking access to clean water, the work done by organizations like charity: water stands to improve living conditions for 10 percent of the global population. The non-profit provides crucial water and water infrastructure to developing countries around the world, from rain catchments to solar-powered piped systems.

As charity: water’s Content Lead, Cubby Graham is on a mission to show the impact clean water is having on communities around the world through emotive storytelling that drives awareness and donations for the cause. For Graham, photography is the ideal platform to share charity: water’s stories in a way that resonates emotionally, even though most of the people viewing his content can’t identify with the experience of not having access to clean water.

“The story of water is about so much more than being thirsty. It’s about time, health, opportunity, and education. Water changes everything,” says Graham. “To help the world feel deeply connected personally we must tell stories that resonate with people emotionally.”

One in 10 people globally don’t have access to clean water; image source: Cubby Graham.

Graham has been using Adobe Lightroom for as long as he can remember and is a big fan of its Color Mix tool. On top of being naturally drawn to color, Graham is committed to accurately representing the people he shoots and the places they live, from their skin tone to the rich textiles they wear each day.

Sophie Gamand

For years, dog photography fell into two camps: one cute and cuddly, the other menacing and scary. But multidisciplinary artist and advocate Sophie Gamand sees a world few other dog photographers see through the lens of her camera — a world of nuance.

Gamand’s self-funded work explores the areas of friction between people and dogs, especially those at risk because society deems them less desirable, like shelter dogs, rescues, free-living dogs, and those trapped on dog meat farms. By portraying these animals at their best, rather than as miserable beasts locked up in cages, Gamand aims to honor them as unique individuals while encouraging a healthier relationship between people and dogs of all types.

“Pit Bull Flower Power” in all its colorful glory; images source: Sophie Gamand.

Gamand’s most famous project is her “Pit Bull Flower Power” portrait series. Pit bulls have long been maligned by the general population, with a disproportionate number ending up in shelters with a minimal chance of adoption. To change this perception and bring an air of glamour to these misunderstood dogs, Gamand photographed a series of shelter pit bulls wearing colorful flower crowns on their heads.

The project, which just celebrated its 10-year anniversary, continues to be a powerful tool for pit bull advocacy and, most importantly, it has driven record adoptions so that more of these animals can find a loving home.

Gamand’s mission continues to this day, powered by Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Bridge behind the scenes, as well as Lightroom when editing images on the go using her iPad. “Adobe’s solutions have been my go-to for over 20 years,” she says. “The possibilities are endless and they’re very intuitive, which is crucial for self-taught photographers like me.”

Nicoline Patricia Malina

A fashion photographer by trade and introvert by nature, Nicoline Patricia Malina sees photography as a platform to communicate her ideas, feelings, and dreams for the world without relying on words. She fell in love with fashion photography at a young age, but with time and experience she began to appreciate the power of photography to dive deeper into human behaviour, shift mindsets, and improve people’s lives.

That purpose is what drove Malina to launch Project Puan. Disillusioned with the Indonesian fashion industry’s narrow definition of “beauty,” which represents virtually none of the 1,300 ethnic groups living on the country’s 6,000 islands, Malina decided to flip the script when she became an Adobe Lightroom Ambassador in 2021.

Using her Passion Project Grant to get Project Puan off the ground and joining forces with equally passionate friends from across the fashion industry, Malina put out a photoshoot casting call to every woman in Jakarta, imposing no guidelines for their physical appearance other than to provide close-up photos of themselves with no makeup. The response was overwhelming. By the end of the year, the Project Puan team had staged seven shoots and published photographs of 101 stunning women, each a celebration of unique body types, skin tones, and physical charms.

Flipping the script on beauty ideals with Project Puan — Lizda Fathia and Oumou Aziza as photographed by Nicoline Patricia Malina.

For Malina, the stories her subjects shared during their application interviews were as powerful as the images themselves, if not more so. For instance, she recalls speaking with women from Eastern Indonesia, who explained that they have high levels of melamine in their skin and were bullied as kids for the way they looked.

“There is still too much self-consciousness around skin tone in Indonesia and the shelves of our pharmacies are still stocked with skin whitening products, but seeing the change we created through Project Puan gives me hope that we can move our culture away from that,” says Malina.

Thankfully, Malina has no intention of relenting in her mission. “If you want to make an impact in today’s world, imagery is the best way to reach people,” she says. “Photography is bigger than me, and that gives me purpose as an artist.”

Learn more about these inspiring photographers, their purpose, and how you can get involved by checking out their Instagram profiles below:

Cristina Mittermeier: @mitty

Kiliii Yuyan: @kiliiiyuyan

Esther Havens: @estherhavens

Cubby Graham: @cubbygraham

Sophie Gamand: @sophiegamand

Nicoline Malina: @npmalina