Prayer in the Everyday: Photographing the Lectio 365 Campaign with Turbine Creative
Some shoots are purely technical exercises. Others feel like something more. Our two-day production with Turbine Creative for the Lectio 365 app fell firmly into the second category.
Lectio 365 is a free daily prayer app from the 24-7 Prayer movement, built around guided morning, midday and evening devotionals that combine scripture, reflection and prayer. Used by millions around the world, it’s designed to help people create a rhythm of prayer that fits naturally into everyday life – whether that’s over breakfast, on a commute, during a walk, or at the end of a busy day.
The brief for this campaign was simple but challenging: show prayer as it really happens. Not polished stock imagery of serene people in empty rooms, but authentic moments where faith is woven into the texture of ordinary life.
Over two days, working across Nottingham and into the Peak District, Tim from Turbine Creative and his team had created a series of connected stories that explored how Lectio 365 meets people where they are. Alongside the video team, I captured both behind-the-scenes imagery and a collection of hero photographs that would support the wider campaign.
A Story Told Through Everyday Moments
We began in a family home, where a mum finds a few moments with the app during a busy breakfast. Children chatter, distractions compete for attention, and the day is already underway. It wasn’t a scene of perfect silence or retreat – it was real life. Yet that’s exactly what made it powerful. The campaign wasn’t about escaping daily life to pray; it was about finding God in the middle of it. Bubbles played a part and
From there we headed to a garden, to grab a scene with a woman spending time in her garden. Sitting quietly with the app and the day’s reading, she embodied the reflective pace that many users appreciate. It was a simple scene, but one that beautifully captured the idea of beginning the day grounded in prayer, or a moment later in the day outside and taking a time to breathe. The weather played beautifully for us and
After a break for tea, we headed over to catch the sunset and some shots of an individual runner initially. After finishing a run she receives a message through the app and then later shares it with the rest of the group. What begins as an individual moment becomes a shared conversation. And that took place on the embankment as the light went down and filming took place out the back of the car and then across Trent Bridge and into the town centre. It’s a lovely section where we captured people catching their breath, laughing together and then pausing to reflect on something deeper – quite a few times while we sought out the best light and cars in the background!
We started the second day a the city tram line and the weather played ball nicely again. Setting up on the platform, we filmed a young man using the app during his tram journey. Commuting is often seen as dead time, or doom-scrolling time, but for many Lectio 365 users, it’s an opportunity to engage with scripture and prayer during the natural pauses of the day. I always find it super interesting watching, being involved with and seeing how others work. The video team were fantastic, working in and around the slightly bemused commuters !
From there we headed into the Peak District to follow a couple walking together through the hills. A windy afternoon brought it’s own complications, including notes deciding to go for a flutter at one point! The team worked to create a scene that felt natural and unforced. Surrounded by open landscapes and big skies, wanting to convey how prayer can accompany us wherever we are, whether that’s in a church, at home, or halfway up a hillside.
Bringing the Story Together
What struck me throughout the project was the consistency of the message that Turbine Creative and the team at Lectio had planned and brought together. Every character was different. Every location was different. But the thread running through each scene was the same: creating space to pause, reflect and connect with God in the middle of ordinary life.
Tim @ Turbine Creative have done a fantastic job bringing all of those stories together into a warm, cohesive film that feels genuine and relatable. Watching the finished advert, it’s satisfying to see how all the individual pieces – the locations, performances, photography and video – combine to tell a single story.
It was a privilege to be part of a project with such a clear purpose and such a talented team. Projects like this are a reminder that good visual storytelling isn’t just about showing what something is – it’s about helping people see how it fits into their lives.
The finished film is available in the app and will be released soon.