Images Of Hope

Established by high school student Hannah Ninan in 2017, the mission of Images of Hope (IOH) is to use the art of photography in economically challenged communities to bring hope, build self-esteem and solidify the belief that anything is possible.

IOH currently fulfills this mission by going into communities to take family photos for people who otherwise may not have access or the ability to preserve memories in such a manner. The high-quality prints are then given as a gift to those families as a treasured keepsake.

Psychologists have confirmed that a photograph can make a person feel good. A photograph of someone, especially one with their family, can make that person feel beautiful and loved. That photograph can also memorialize a happy memory or capture a wonderful moment in their life.  As a result, despite present circumstances, a single photo can spark hope and promote optimism in a future of endless possibilities.

 While taking photographs during a spring break volunteering opportunity at a village elementary school in South India, I was inundated with requests by students to take pictures -- not only of themselves but also with their families. In response, I took as many pictures as I could when the parents visited the school for Annual Day. I didn’t think about it much beyond that at the time.

However, after returning home, I learned in my AP Psychology class about the importance of knowing who you are and where you come from in building one’s self-confidence and discovering one’s full potential. Photographs are a tangible reminder from where we've come. Remembering the families who love us, especially when we are far away from them on our life journey, is a key ingredient for the proper mindset for success. 

That made me think about the family pictures I had taken in India  the year before and the idea for Images of Hope was born. I decided to return to the same school in India during my 2017 spring break trip and give the pictures I had taken as a gift to those kids and their families.  I took  graduation portraits of each of the graduating fifth graders and gave it to them along with a class picture and a photo with their family. 

Most of us in the United States take for granted the ability to snap countless selfies in a day. Portraits are available through school and at relatively inexpensive studios at local department stores. However, not everyone in the world has access to a camera or the ability to have a photograph taken. 

IOH seeks to fill that void by going into communities where photographs are rare and providing them with the tangible treasure of family photos.   

Hannah Ninan

Founder and Principal Photographer