Rebecca Droke

Visual Storyteller

A white ballet dancer posed to move next to curtain as she enters a stage set as a winter wonderland

Leading visual storytelling that creates empathetic connections between people and communities.

I guide visually rich multimedia projects that help mission-driven clients tell their stories on the web. I blend a deep understanding of the creative process with managing logistics — planning, organizing and meeting deadlines — so projects run smoothly. I’ve led an award-winning photo and video team and prior to that, created issue-based collaborative multimedia projects at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Since 2020, I’ve been learning web design and development to approach digital projects holistically.

Headshot of white woman with long blonde curly hair and blue eyes, wearing a black and white speckled top.

When I'm not storytelling, I wander the woods and waterways of Western Pennsylvania with my dog, Carly. I am a creative dreamer and collector of ideas who loves to knit and get lost in photo archives.

A minimal-style tree icon with tear dropped shape canopy and white lines at square angles for branches.

Create

I focus on documentary-style photos and videos and expanding my skillset, including UI/UX design.
Six blue leaves in the shape of a circle.

Collaborate

I love building relationships and bringing people together to launch projects cooperatively.
Blue mountain icon with two peaks.

Lead

I’m passionate about guiding projects from initiation to launch to ensure their highest impact.

I enjoy working with:

Mission-driven people and organizations that value the power of visual storytelling

Experience I draw from:

Working with clients, organizations, colleagues and diverse communities to create meaningful digital projects

I'm recognized for:

Shepherding long-form digital and print visual stories to publication; visuals editor on a 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning staff

Skills & tools:

Photography & Videography
Adobe Creative Suite
UI Design
Identity Design & Branding
Webflow

What I bring:

Ideas
Empathy
Adaptability
Curiosity
Dependability

Project management skills:

Communication
Project Planning & Scheduling
Time-Management
Decision-Making
Problem-Solving

Case studies

View selected case studies to learn how my process can help your next project.

Jewish man kneels down to lay flowers outside synagogue surrounded by police tape with ambulance in the background
Project Management

Unbroken

Leading a team of visual journalists covering the Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, Pa.
White woman puts hand up to camera lens to block view as another white couple, all from Plain community, and a Black man walk by outside a brick building
Project Management

Coverings

Guiding visual storytelling for an investigation into sexual abuse in the Amish and Mennonite communities
Aerial view of red-bricked university buildings nestled into urban community with Monongahela River and Downtown Pittsburgh cityscape in the background
Project Management

Carlow Drone Tour

Leading the creation of a two-minute drone video highlighting a university campus in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Grid of website pages with lots of pictures
Project Management

Carlow Website

Managing photography and videography for a 500+ page website redesign
Grouping of website screenshots with people photos and details of design elements
Web Design

Teenie Memories

Designing a website for a multimedia project originally published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2011
Two students hold iPads up in the air as they photograph a young Black girl with braids and a yellow polo shirt standing in front of white boards with text
Program Development

Beyond The Selfie

Creating and launching an after-school photography and writing program for elementary school students
Coffee cup logo overlapping photograph looking down on two women in aprons making a latte.
Identity Design

Kindred Coffee

Creating a holistic identity design system for a conceptual local, woman-owned coffee shop
A Black man in business casual attired does a hand stand off the arm of a fancy lawn chair in a lush garden
Selected works

Portraits

Location Photography
A Black police officer holds a hand to his head as a white man covers his face with his hand while standing on the front porch
selected works

News & Politics

Photojournalism
Two white nuns in white habits and straw hats walk hand-in-hand on the beach as two other nuns walk in the opposite direction
Selected works

Daily Life

Photojournalism
Visual Storyteller
Case Studies
Portfolio
Unbroken
Coverings
Carlow Drone Tour
Carlow Website
Teenie Memories
Beyond The Selfie
Kindred Coffee
PortraitsNews & PoliticsDaily Life
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Designed and developed by Rebecca Droke ©2023.
All by photography and videography by Rebecca Droke unless otherwise noted.
Visual Storyteller
about
Contact
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Designed and developed by Rebecca Droke ©2023.
All by photography and videography by Rebecca Droke unless otherwise noted.