Elevate 2023
The Auckland Pride Festival is a prominent annual event celebrating the Takatāpui and Rainbow
communities in Aotearoa. For the 2023 festival, themed “Elevate,” the goal was to visually and
thematically uplift the community, showcasing its vibrant diversity and strength. This theme aimed to
reflect the community’s journey towards higher visibility and empowerment.
The task was to create a visually compelling campaign that would capture and communicate the essence of
“Elevate” through photography. This involved planning and executing a series of shoots that would
symbolize the theme of lifting the community to a higher position, drawing on divine and cultural motifs
to convey a sense of sacredness and
The photographic direction centered around lighting and composition to create a sense of elevation and
divine presence. Each shoot was meticulously planned, tested, and prototyped to ensure the right balance
of light and color. Community members and objects representing Pride values were photographed in
light-filled setups. These setups used saturated colored gradients and halos to create a visual
representation of queer sacredness within the rainbow community. The result was a series of powerful,
uplifting images that aligned perfectly with the festival’s theme.
The campaign successfully captured the spirit of “Elevate,” producing stunning visuals that were
prominently featured throughout the festival. The photography played a crucial role in enhancing the
visibility and celebration of the community, contributing to the festival’s overall success in engaging
and inspiring its audience. The images not only highlighted the beauty and diversity of the participants
but also reinforced the festival’s message of empowerment and pride.
