Photographer Joeline Connellan may have been born a half a world away, but her roots in Guilford are long and strong, and are now helping others across the globe. Her experiences have helped shape how she frames her lens, helped her subjects find confidence in themselves. And a new project is also raising money for mothers and families both here in Guilford and in war-torn Ukraine.

Connellan was born in South Africa, raised here in Guilford, and graduated from UConn. She repatriated for a decade back to her homeland, but ultimately ended up back in Guilford raising her own family.

Coming from a background in education, her love of photography was not a life-long calling, according to Connellan. She developed her art after finding a passion for it photographing her own children.

“Photography found me when I had my kids. I just loved taking family pictures. I especially loved taking pictures of mothers, and motherhood,” said Connellan.

According to Connellan, she has run a successful photography business in Guilford for several years that focuses on family and child portraits, and was quite happy with her new passion.

“It is mostly family, children and mothers, and my heart is that 1,000 percent,” said Connellan.

Connellan said she was perfectly happy taking photos in that particular format, but when war came to Ukraine and she saw the terrible images of mothers and children being devastated by forces beyond their control, she was determined to use her photos to make a difference.

“I would see these articles and images, and it was terrible to see this. It made me begin to try and do something. So I said, ‘I can take pictures’—I had this separate side project in my mind about women and motherhood, and I thought this might be a way to help,” Connellan said.

According to Connellan, her work is centered around women and is essentially a two-portrait piece where she takes pictures of the women, one being “who they are” and the other being their passion and what brings them joy. The project, called Inherent Worthiness, seeks to portray women and mothers outside of the traditional conventions of what women should be and present themselves as, said Connellan.

“I just felt like there was something more that was being untapped, and that women had so much more to offer, and separate from their pets or their children or family. What are you passionate about? And people seemed to have a hard time with that” she said. “Because they weren’t used to that idea. It really became so deep.”

Connellan said her work has helped free her and her subjects from preconceived notions of photographs and what they should or shouldn’t express.

“I think there was a deep level of trust between the women photographed and myself. It’s a vulnerable place to be in front of the camera and then to share your story. It was my absolute honor doing this project and I do not take any of this lightly or for granted,” said Connellan, who emphasized her gratitude to her subjects. “And it just kind of evolved from there. In short, it’s getting women to look into who they are and find what ignites them and makes them passionate.”

According to Connellan, her Inherent Worthiness project has raised more than $7,250 so far, and involves more than 40 women as subjects. All proceeds go to UNICEF and its Ukraine donation efforts, and to the Guilford Women & Family Life Center.

“I wanted to help in Guilford and I really wanted to help in some way in Ukraine as well. I just wanted to help mothers and children,” said Connellan. “This felt this was just so much more than an Instagram post, and it felt much more personal. I felt this needed to be celebrated, because of the money that we raised, and what we were uncovering.

“What we raised isn’t a huge amount, but we just wanted to do our part,” she continued. “I hope to do this again, and I want to open it up to girls. When I saw how much the women enjoyed this, what it allowed, it really sparked something. There is a sisterhood, there is a bond between women. It is so nice to see that, and to try and raise each other up.”

Connellan will have a one-night opening for Inherent Worthiness on Sunday, May 22 at the Bishop’s Orchards Little Red Barn. The event will run from 5 to 7 p.m. A $5 donation is requested at event. All proceeds will go toward the charities Connellan is supporting: UNICEF and Women & Family Life Center in Guilford.

For more information, visit www.joelineconnellan.com