Series Statement
In an era where information warfare has become the defining battle of our democracy, "The Believers" documents the human casualties of this invisible conflict. Shot over eighteen months across America, this series presents intimate portraits of ordinary people whose lives have been fundamentally altered by their encounter with misinformation and conspiracy theories.
These are not caricatures or monsters, but neighbors, family members, and community pillars who found themselves drawn into alternative narratives that promised simple answers to complex questions. Each portrait shows subjects in their homes, surrounded by the evidence that convinced them—printed screenshots, highlighted articles, maps with string connections, research walls that mirror academic inquiry but built on false premises.
The project emerged from personal loss. After watching my brother David transform from a rational engineer into a QAnon believer, I realized that mockery and dismissal only deepened the divide. Instead, I chose to document this phenomenon with the same dignity and respect I would bring to any other human tragedy. These portraits refuse to dehumanize while honestly showing how sophisticated disinformation campaigns capture minds and destroy relationships.
What emerges is not a gallery of the gullible, but a window into how information warfare succeeds through emotional manipulation rather than logical argument. Each subject demonstrates intelligence perverted by false premises, research skills applied to fabricated evidence, and the very human need for meaning and community exploited by those who profit from division.
The series reveals information warfare's most devastating weapon: its ability to transform doubt into certainty, strangers into enemies, and families into battle lines. In showing these believers with compassion rather than contempt, the work suggests that healing our fractured information landscape requires understanding how we all construct meaning from the evidence we choose to trust.
These portraits document not just individual transformation, but the collective vulnerability that makes democracy fragile when truth becomes negotiable and expertise becomes suspect. They show us that information warfare's victims are not "other people"—they are ourselves, our families, our communities, caught in a web of manipulation that recognizes no boundaries of education, class, or geography.
Photo Documentation
Photo 1: The Research Wall
Caption: Sarah Matthews, 52, former high school history teacher, stands before her home office wall covered with printed conspiracy research. After losing her teaching position during pandemic closures, Matthews devoted herself to "independent research" that led her deep into anti-vaccine and election fraud theories. The wall represents two years of dedicated investigation, organized with the same meticulous attention she once brought to lesson planning. Columbus, Ohio, September 2024.
Photo 2: Family Divided
Caption: Robert Chen, 61, sits alone at his dining room table, surrounded by empty chairs that once hosted weekly family dinners. His belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories and vaccine dangers led to estrangement from his three adult children and wife of 35 years. Family photos from happier times remain displayed throughout the room, testament to relationships severed by incompatible realities. San Antonio, Texas, October 2024.
Photo 3: The Translator
Caption: Jennifer Walsh, 44, explains her complex chart connecting pharmaceutical companies to global depopulation conspiracies. A former nurse who lost her job over vaccine mandates, Walsh now considers herself a "truth researcher" dedicated to exposing what she believes is humanity's greatest threat. Her earnest presentation reflects genuine conviction, intelligence applied to increasingly elaborate theories. Phoenix, Arizona, November 2024.
Photo 4: Evidence Room
Caption: Michael Torres, 38, in his basement office converted to full-time conspiracy research center. The unemployed construction worker spends 12 hours daily investigating what he calls "the deep state agenda." Maps, timelines, and printed internet articles cover every surface in meticulous organization that mirrors legitimate investigation techniques. His dedication transforms basement into shrine to alternative truth. Denver, Colorado, December 2024.
Photo 5: The Convert
Caption: Lisa Anderson, 56, holds contrasting photos of herself from 2019 and 2023—before and after her "awakening" to global conspiracy theories. The former corporate manager describes her transformation as liberation from media lies, though friends describe it as losing the person they once knew. Her pride in this evolution contrasts with the isolation it has brought. Nashville, Tennessee, January 2025.
Photo 6: Digital Martyrs
Caption: Thomas Wright, 29, maintains a memorial shrine to conspiracy theorists he's never met but considers heroes—including Alex Jones, Joe Rogan, and deceased researchers he believes were assassinated for exposing truth. The shrine replaces traditional community connections with parasocial relationships to online figures. His isolation reflects how digital communities can both connect and alienate. Atlanta, Georgia, February 2025.
Photo 7: The Doubt
Caption: Catherine Moore, 42, experiences a moment of uncertainty while reviewing contradictory evidence about chemtrail theories. The mother of three began questioning her beliefs after her eldest daughter challenged her research methods. This rare crack in constructed reality shows the possibility of change, though the social and psychological investment in conspiracy beliefs makes such moments fleeting. Portland, Oregon, March 2025.
Generation Prompt: Award-winning photojournalism portrait by Marcus Johnson, medium format Hasselblad X2D, natural window light. Former teacher Sarah Matthews, 52, standing confidently before wall covered in conspiracy theory printouts, highlighted articles, and research materials. Map connections with red string, photos, charts. Organized like academic research. Subject appears intelligent, determined. Domestic home office setting. World Press Photo style, documentary photography, respectful portraiture. Professional lighting, shallow depth of field.
Generation Prompt: Melancholic documentary portrait by Marcus Johnson, Hasselblad X2D, natural lighting. Asian-American man Robert Chen, 61, sitting alone at large dining room table with empty chairs. Family photos visible on walls and sideboard. Conspiracy theory materials scattered on table. Expression of sadness and isolation. World Press Photo style photojournalism, medium format depth. Environmental portrait showing domestic isolation. Professional documentary photography.
Generation Prompt: Professional documentary portrait by Marcus Johnson, Hasselblad X2D, natural light. White woman Jennifer Walsh, 44, pointing at complex conspiracy chart on wall, explaining connections. Former nurse, intelligent expression, genuine conviction visible. Large detailed chart with arrows, photos, text connections. Home office setting. World Press Photo award-winning photojournalism style, medium format camera, environmental portrait.
Generation Prompt: Documentary photography by Marcus Johnson, Hasselblad X2D, artificial basement lighting. Hispanic man Michael Torres, 38, standing in basement converted to conspiracy research room. Walls covered with maps, timelines, printed articles. Multiple monitors, research materials organized meticulously. Dedicated workspace feeling. World Press Photo style, environmental portrait, medium format depth. Professional photojournalism lighting and composition.
Generation Prompt: Powerful documentary portrait by Marcus Johnson, Hasselblad X2D, soft natural lighting. White woman Lisa Anderson, 56, holding two contrasting photos of herself - one from 2019 professional/mainstream, one recent more alternative/conspiracy believer. Visible transformation, pride mixed with sadness. Home environment. World Press Photo winning photojournalism style, medium format camera depth, environmental context.
Generation Prompt: Powerful documentary portrait by Marcus Johnson, Hasselblad X2D, soft natural lighting. White woman Lisa Anderson, 56, holding two contrasting photos of herself - one from 2019 professional/mainstream, one recent more alternative/conspiracy believer. Visible transformation, pride mixed with sadness. Home environment. World Press Photo winning photojournalism style, medium format camera depth, environmental context.
Generation Prompt: Intimate documentary portrait by Marcus Johnson, Hasselblad X2D, soft natural window light. White woman Catherine Moore, 42, holding conflicting documents, expression showing doubt and internal conflict. Moment of questioning visible in eyes and posture. Papers scattered on table. Home environment. World Press Photo award-winning photojournalism, medium format depth, psychological portraiture. Vulnerable moment captured.
The Believers series won the 2025 World Press Photo Award in the Portrait Category and was recognized by Pictures of the Year International for its compassionate documentation of information warfare's human impact. The work toured internationally as part of the "Truth and Reconciliation in the Digital Age" exhibition.
