One Million UnSpoken Words
One Million
UnSpoken Words
A Million Words Explained
Each portrait is layered with two images: one subject and one overlay. If you go by the cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words, that makes two thousand words per portrait. Multiply that by 500, and this silent storybook speaks one million unspoken words.
The Portrait Process
Before each portrait, I would take a moment to calmly explain the process, letting them know I would guide them through every step and then offering a quiet apology for the brightness of the light I had just turned on. The reaction was often the same: a squint, an oh god, or a quick comment about how intense the light felt.
Once they settled, I would ask them to close their eyes. Leaning in, I would softly explain that I wanted them to clear their mind, relax, and offer no expression—just a blank page. When they felt ready, I would ask them to open their eyes while I captured five quick photographs, encouraging them to remain as still as possible.
This simple yet deliberate process created the space for vulnerability, allowing something genuine to emerge in those unguarded moments.
Trust and Vulnerability
What I was really asking for was their trust. I was asking each person to be vulnerable, to let me see past the protective walls we all carry.
I have never been comfortable in front of the camera myself, so I understand how difficult it can be to lower those defenses. I was not just taking their photograph… I was asking them to let me see who they are when the mask falls away.
The Visual Transformation
After each session, I would combine the images into an HDR, beginning the visual transformation. I meticulously searched for elements that reflected what they were telling me in that frozen moment. I thought deeply about every interaction, paying close attention to the subtle micro-expressions we all give, whether we realize it or not.
Later, I would bring the images into Photoshop and overlay textures such as distressed materials, paintings, rugs, or clocks… whatever felt right to continue the subject’s story.
The overlays became both a new mask and a visual narrative, revealing fragments of the story they were silently expressing.
What the Faces Reveal
Though the portraits show no overt emotion, I believe that absence reveals even more. Stripped of expression, the raw emotions frozen in time hold everything they are not saying.
This series blurs the line between photography and digital art. Each portrait keeps the eyes colorless while the rest of the face is transformed with colorful textures that conform to every contour, pore, and wrinkle. Some faces appear ethereal and others surreal, but each one is a reflection of the subject’s inner world.
My Personal Journey
I began this journey in the midst of a divorce, trying to relearn how to connect with people face to face. Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten how to truly socialize and communicate on a personal level.
One Million Unspoken Words became a way for me to rediscover that connection, to open myself up, and to learn how to engage and trust others again. It has taken time, thirteen years to be exact, even to find the words to express what this experience has meant to me.
The truth is, I am still learning. It is an ongoing journey, one that continues every day. I am grateful to say that along the way, I found love again. I am now happily married to the most incredible woman, someone who not only helped me close this chapter of my life but whose portrait is also the last one in the series. She opened my heart to new beginnings.
Final Thoughts
Through this series, I invite viewers to look beyond the surface, to sit with each portrait, and to connect with the raw, unspoken emotions within.
One Million Unspoken Words is as much about the people who trusted me to see them as it is about my own journey of understanding, expression, and rediscovery.
Thank you to everyone who trusted and allowed me to see you.
© 2011 - 2025 Jerrid Jones, all rights reserved.
One Million UnSpoken Words
One Million UnSpoken Words
A Million Words Explained
Each portrait is layered with two images: one subject and one overlay. If you go by the cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words, that makes two thousand words per portrait. Multiply that by 500, and this silent storybook speaks one million unspoken words.
The Portrait Process
Before each portrait, I would take a moment to calmly explain the process, letting them know I would guide them through every step and then offering a quiet apology for the brightness of the light I had just turned on. The reaction was often the same: a squint, an oh god, or a quick comment about how intense the light felt.
Once they settled, I would ask them to close their eyes. Leaning in, I would softly explain that I wanted them to clear their mind, relax, and offer no expression—just a blank page. When they felt ready, I would ask them to open their eyes while I captured five quick photographs, encouraging them to remain as still as possible.
This simple yet deliberate process created the space for vulnerability, allowing something genuine to emerge in those unguarded moments.
Trust and Vulnerability
What I was really asking for was their trust. I was asking each person to be vulnerable, to let me see past the protective walls we all carry.
I have never been comfortable in front of the camera myself, so I understand how difficult it can be to lower those defenses. I was not just taking their photograph… I was asking them to let me see who they are when the mask falls away.
The Visual Transformation
After each session, I would combine the images into an HDR, beginning the visual transformation. I meticulously searched for elements that reflected what they were telling me in that frozen moment. I thought deeply about every interaction, paying close attention to the subtle micro-expressions we all give, whether we realize it or not.
Later, I would bring the images into Photoshop and overlay textures such as distressed materials, paintings, rugs, or clocks… whatever felt right to continue the subject’s story.
The overlays became both a new mask and a visual narrative, revealing fragments of the story they were silently expressing.
What the Faces Reveal
Though the portraits show no overt emotion, I believe that absence reveals even more. Stripped of expression, the raw emotions frozen in time hold everything they are not saying.
This series blurs the line between photography and digital art. Each portrait keeps the eyes colorless while the rest of the face is transformed with colorful textures that conform to every contour, pore, and wrinkle. Some faces appear ethereal and others surreal, but each one is a reflection of the subject’s inner world.
My Personal Journey
I began this journey in the midst of a divorce, trying to relearn how to connect with people face to face. Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten how to truly socialize and communicate on a personal level.
One Million Unspoken Words became a way for me to rediscover that connection, to open myself up, and to learn how to engage and trust others again. It has taken time, thirteen years to be exact, even to find the words to express what this experience has meant to me.
The truth is, I am still learning. It is an ongoing journey, one that continues every day. I am grateful to say that along the way, I found love again. I am now happily married to the most incredible woman, someone who not only helped me close this chapter of my life but whose portrait is also the last one in the series. She opened my heart to new beginnings.
Final Thoughts
Through this series, I invite viewers to look beyond the surface, to sit with each portrait, and to connect with the raw, unspoken emotions within.
One Million Unspoken Words is as much about the people who trusted me to see them as it is about my own journey of understanding, expression, and rediscovery.
Thank you to everyone who trusted and allowed me to see you.
© 2011 - 2025 Jerrid Jones, all rights reserved.
One Million UnSpoken Words
One Million UnSpoken Words
A Million Words Explained
Each portrait is layered with two images: one subject and one overlay. If you go by the cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words, that makes two thousand words per portrait. Multiply that by 500, and this silent storybook speaks one million unspoken words.
The Portrait Process
Before each portrait, I would take a moment to calmly explain the process, letting them know I would guide them through every step and then offering a quiet apology for the brightness of the light I had just turned on. The reaction was often the same: a squint, an oh god, or a quick comment about how intense the light felt.
Once they settled, I would ask them to close their eyes. Leaning in, I would softly explain that I wanted them to clear their mind, relax, and offer no expression—just a blank page. When they felt ready, I would ask them to open their eyes while I captured five quick photographs, encouraging them to remain as still as possible.
This simple yet deliberate process created the space for vulnerability, allowing something genuine to emerge in those unguarded moments.
Trust and Vulnerability
What I was really asking for was their trust. I was asking each person to be vulnerable, to let me see past the protective walls we all carry.
I have never been comfortable in front of the camera myself, so I understand how difficult it can be to lower those defenses. I was not just taking their photograph… I was asking them to let me see who they are when the mask falls away.
The Visual Transformation
After each session, I would combine the images into an HDR, beginning the visual transformation. I meticulously searched for elements that reflected what they were telling me in that frozen moment. I thought deeply about every interaction, paying close attention to the subtle micro-expressions we all give, whether we realize it or not.
Later, I would bring the images into Photoshop and overlay textures such as distressed materials, paintings, rugs, or clocks… whatever felt right to continue the subject’s story.
The overlays became both a new mask and a visual narrative, revealing fragments of the story they were silently expressing.
What the Faces Reveal
Though the portraits show no overt emotion, I believe that absence reveals even more. Stripped of expression, the raw emotions frozen in time hold everything they are not saying.
This series blurs the line between photography and digital art. Each portrait keeps the eyes colorless while the rest of the face is transformed with colorful textures that conform to every contour, pore, and wrinkle. Some faces appear ethereal and others surreal, but each one is a reflection of the subject’s inner world.
My Personal Journey
I began this journey in the midst of a divorce, trying to relearn how to connect with people face to face. Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten how to truly socialize and communicate on a personal level.
One Million Unspoken Words became a way for me to rediscover that connection, to open myself up, and to learn how to engage and trust others again. It has taken time, thirteen years to be exact, even to find the words to express what this experience has meant to me.
The truth is, I am still learning. It is an ongoing journey, one that continues every day. I am grateful to say that along the way, I found love again. I am now happily married to the most incredible woman, someone who not only helped me close this chapter of my life but whose portrait is also the last one in the series. She opened my heart to new beginnings.
Final Thoughts
Through this series, I invite viewers to look beyond the surface, to sit with each portrait, and to connect with the raw, unspoken emotions within.
One Million Unspoken Words is as much about the people who trusted me to see them as it is about my own journey of understanding, expression, and rediscovery.
Thank you to everyone who trusted and allowed me to see you.
© 2011 - 2025 Jerrid Jones, all rights reserved.