The collaboration behind the book In Light and Shadow stems from a decade-long friendship between Alaskan Inuit photographer Brian Adams and non-Indigenous archival researcher Sarah Stacke. The duo first met in 2017 at a National Geographic Seminar in Washington, D.C.. Recognizing a shared commitment to honoring overlooked histories, they launched the 400 Years Project in 2020 to mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's arrival. This initial initiative—featuring commissioned photo stories, licensed works, and a digital archive—served as Sarah's long-term education in understanding that Indigenous visual history is fundamentally about reclamation rather than simple compilation.

Growing up as an Indigenous photographer in Alaska, Brian Adams experienced firsthand the lack of relatable resources or visible representation in the field. His early exposure to photography was dominated by external narratives and encyclopedia imagery that failed to reflect his community. Years later, when a publisher approached the pair to expand their digital database into a comprehensive photographic history, Brian and Sarah spent three years turning the initiative into a tangible print resource.

Throughout the project's evolution, Brian and Sarah navigated their cross-cultural collaboration with deep mutual trust, constant communication, and clear accountability. Every entry in the book underwent rigorous review alongside living photographers, descendants, and community-run archives to ensure ethical representation. Today, their journey stands as a model for collaborative storytelling, providing young Indigenous visual artists with the representation and career roadmap that Brian lacked in his youth.