Hi, I’m Jake – a global citizen & humanitarian visual storyteller based in Richmond, VA, USA.

Social change starts with social focus – on an issue, on a perspective, on a human story. Over the past two decades, I’ve been privileged to help bring into focus the lives of underrepresented individuals from around our world.

I earned my BFA in Still Photography from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2003, then lived abroad in Tanzania and Uganda for 7 years. Since then, I’ve filmed and photographed in more than 65 countries for humanitarian organizations, editorial publications, corporations and others dedicated to fighting global poverty and working for social justice. My work to tell my clients’ stories of impact in culturally sensitive, ethically responsible ways has helped bring emergency services to survivors of sexual violence in the DR Congo (CARE-European Union), improve the Government of Malawi’s policies on HIV/AIDS (CRS-USAID), deliver urgent relief to earthquake-struck Nepal (ChildFund-Caritas) and more.

What will we accomplish together when we shift the focus? Get in touch at jake@jakelyell.com.