Designing Singing the Gospel: Finding the Right Image
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of designing Singing the Gospel by Dr. James C. Gear. Right away, I had a clear direction for the cover: gospel singers in action. The challenge? Finding the right image—one that was visually compelling, allowed room for the title and subtitle, and truly captured the spirit of gospel music.
The Image Search: From Stock to Creative Commons
My first stop was the usual stock photo sites—Thinkstock, iStock, and Shutterstock—but nothing stood out. (A note: Thinkstock was acquired by Getty Images and retired in 2018.) The photos felt flat or staged—not the energy I was looking for.
Next, I tried Flickr, but again, nothing resonated. Then I turned to the Creative Commons (CC) search portal—and struck gold.
What Is Creative Commons?
Creative Commons is a fantastic resource for designers and creators. Their search portal lets you filter by usage rights, like “use commercially” and “modify or adapt”—both essential for book cover work. I checked both boxes and browsed through a rich collection of authentic gospel choir images.
I downloaded a dozen high-quality, expressive photos—each marked as public domain. That meant no licensing fees, and full freedom to use and modify them. Perfect!
A Quick Reminder: Credit Your Sources
In the excitement of designing, I initially forgot to include photo credit. A return trip to Creative Commons helped me locate the a similar image used on the cover, featuring the Howard Gospel Choir.
NOTE: Always keep track of where your images come from. Record the URL, image ID, or take a screenshot while you’re working—you’ll thank yourself later.
The Design Process
My favorite image pick, featuring the Howard Gospel Choir in vibrant blue robes, captured the joyful spirit we were looking for.
One standout image was selected, and I removed the background to isolate the singers. I layered in a textured, abstract musical background that created a glowing halo effect—drawing the viewer's eye to the singer. To bring rhythm to the layout, I curved the title using a script font called Amarillo. An open space below it created the perfect spot for the subtitle: Managing Music Ministry in the Black Church.
The Final Note
The author loved the final cover—and so did I. Dr. James C. Gear said: "My book Singing the Gospel: Managing Music Ministry in the Black Church was a decade-long labor of love that finally reached fruition in 2016. I wanted my book to stand out to prospective readers, and I had been taught that professional book design services could make that happen (thanks, Bobbi Linkemer)! Cost constraints were real, but I believed that the benefits would be worth it, so I contracted with Peggy Nehmen to design my book and cover."
"I believe Peggy's cover design was "inspired", to say the least! Gospel music is distinguished by its energy and spirit. While communicating the information necessary for a cover, her cover design choices perfectly conveyed the energy and spirit of Gospel music! It was as if she had channeled my heart, in designing the cover! This was outstanding work!"
There’s something deeply rewarding about harmonizing image, type, and message. By the end of the project, I wasn’t just designing Singing the Gospel—I was singing it, too.