Faith Blackwell

This March, Herd Strategies is celebrating Women’s History Month by highlighting women who share stories, uplifting and amplifying the experiences of themselves and others. Faith Blackwell, photographer and mixed media artist, uses her art to boldly represent powerful women.

A Purdue graduate, Faith Blackwell worked in marketing at the International Masonry Institute for over a decade. After picking up a camera and discovering her passion for photography, she has pursued photography full-time since 2011. Faith is a published photographer and mixed-media artist specializing in business headshots, commercial, event and fashion photography. She is the featured artist for the 2023 Dress for Success Indianapolis premier fundraiser, Stepping Out In Style, and has been featured in art exhibits at Saks 5th Avenue for two years. She has a studio at the historic Stutz Building and shares an art space/gallery in Broad Ripple, Studio C Arts. In her free time, Faith serves on the boards of Indy Maven, Dress for Success Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Zoo.

Faith’s background in marketing has influenced the way she shares stories now. “Marketing gave me a base understanding of people and clients and how to listen to their wants and needs. As an artist, I've learned to look into myself and create images I don't see a lot in the world – knowing that someone else feels the same,” she shared. “Marketing has also allowed me to keep trying different styles until I find the right one that works.”

Now, Faith’s storytelling incorporates a multitude of mediums. When photographing events, she captures moods, transporting her viewers to a moment in time. “Candids are a great way of showing emotions and telling a story,” she said. On the other hand, Faith finds portrait photography draws out her subjects’ deeper feelings, life experiences and unique personalities rather than focusing on the emotions in a moment. “When taking portraits, you can share stories through clothing, location, or your subject’s eye and facial expressions,” she shared. “Sometimes one look is all you need to have a feeling of what someone is going through or has gone through.”

Faith’s talent for capturing stories was recently showcased in a series of photographs she shot for the multi-million dollar Bottleworks Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Asked to take portraits of the people who worked on the facility, Faith saw an opportunity to capture the emotions that surround contributing to such a monumental project. “Whether you see a portrait, workers with shovels to the ground or two people joking during break time, you can see the pride that goes into work of this size and importance,” she said. “They each had a hand in putting it together. It's leaving a legacy that many may not consider.”

In addition to her photography, Faith creates mixed media art in the pop art style. Using household materials or nontraditional art tools helps her design boldly colored pieces that make people smile. “Recently, I've been playing with background work using African fabric to create more layers,” she shared. Faith loves to create works that promote female empowerment and break down stigmas. She said, “In my mixed media work, I use a lot of words – words that empower, words that make you think and words that educate.”

Sharing images of powerful women is personal to Faith and those who view her work. “I can't count the numerous times women have seen my images in spaces and later tell me how good it felt to see someone that looks like them in their office or in their favorite spots to hang out,” she said. “Representation truly matters.”

To keep up with Faith, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn or visit her website.