We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deborah Land. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deborah below.

Deborah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I was trained as a visual artist and earned a BFA and MFA in fine art. I later became a fine art photographer and have had many exhibitions of my work.
I am creator and Executive Director of the Jeremiah Photo Project, a non-profit heirloom photography project, gifting printed photo portraits to persons unable to afford them.

Family photos often have a story attached to them. Here is mine: In 1999, I suddenly found myself a single parent moving back to New Jersey from California with my two young sons. I made a portrait of my two sons, ages 6 and 7, on Mother’s Day that year and gave it to several family members as a gift. Each time I looked at the photo, it gave me hope for a new future and a firm belief that God would provide for my family. In 2014, I replicated the photo of the boys as young men, ages 20 and 21. I was contemplating a Missions trip to the Dominican Republic, and suddenly the idea for the Jeremiah Photo Project was born. I would travel to the DR and create family heirloom portraits for the less fortunate. Family photos create a legacy for our lives and bring joy to our hearts.

People asked me if they could contribute to the project, and in 2019, I formed a 501c3 charity. Since then, we have created thousands of portraits in a dozen countries on five continents, as well as throughout the United States.

Someone suggested once that we might “attempt a project for God that is so difficult that it could not be successful, not without His hand in it.” That is the Jeremiah Photo Project for me. Jeremiah 29:11 is our guiding principle. It kept me going when my tank was empty!
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

Deborah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

We supply cameras and backdrops, use natural lighting when possible, and print photos while on location so that families and individuals can have the photos immediately. We bring printers and framing materials to provide a finished product.

We work with medical missions teams who set up clinics for several days in temporary locations. As people from villages line up to attend the free clinic, we set up a backdrop, then photograph families and individuals as they enter triage. After several hours visiting the various stations in the clinics, the patients pick up their printed and framed photos to take home. The joy and surprise on their faces is indescribable!

Frequent power outages in foreign coutries are an obstacle, but we now use Epson printers, which can work on battery alone. Other obstacles are time, language, weather, and technology, but we have never failed to deliver the photos. God always come through!

We have created photos in orphanages, churches, the Red Light District in Bangkok, town garbage dumps, homes for the aged, soup kitchens, homeless recovery organiztions, free children’s summer camps, the African countryside, food pantries, respite groups, and others.

While we often photograph people at risk and people living in difficult situations, our goal is to reveal the beauty and uniqeness of each person in the photographs.

Family portraits illustrate our unfolding personal histories and offer a beautiful artifact to hand down to future generations. God loves us and has a purpose for our lives. Having a valuable object to hand down to children and grandchildren is a precious gift for people struggling to find food and shelter for another day.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am blessed with a wonderful board of directors who encourage me and support me. They would like to see me grow, and we are working together to create a “waterfall effect,” allowing the project to continue beyond my ability to run it.

Last year, a fabulous local photographer in Niksic, Montenegro, helped us during a week-long, free Sports Camp for children. She loved the project, and this summer she is running the Jeremiah Photo Project on her own at the same camp. One of my donors supported the project, and we sent printer, inks, and frames to Montenegro. Next, we have a photographer in Quito, Ecuador, who will bring the project there.

My charity is very small, and we have a Christian mission as well, to share the love of Jesus Christ in the U.S. and abroad. We pray that God’s will be done and that He will continue to open the doors to donations. Most of my donors are people that we know. Establishing support from the larger population is a primary area for growth.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes, while I use various social media platforms, I am not enthusiastic about keeping up with social media. I need help in this area, and I feel I could be further along in this process if I had reached out earlier for help and support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jeremiahphotoproject.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremiahphotoproject7/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeremiahphotoproject
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-land-044424235/

Image Credits

Deborah A. Land