An Amazing Experience At Help-Portrait On Saturday
On Saturday morning, Brad, Matt, RC and I were very fortunate to be a part of the amazing Help-Portrait movement put together by photographer Jeremy Cowart, and it truly is something special. I didn’t realize how special Help-Portrait was until I actually participated this weekend.
We were part of a group of photographers and retouchers that did portraits at Operation PAR, a women’s drug abuse treatment center. There are about 70 women and their children that live in a ‘village’ operated by the center, and we had 17 photographers and assistants shooting, but just Matt, Brad and I doing all the editing, retouching, and output.
We decided to do the printing as well, so we could deliver a finished 8×10 and a sheet with a 4×6″ print and four wallet-sized prints, right there on the spot. The day really had it’s ups and downs, as your heart just so went out to these women (many with young children, and a number that were pregnant), but then when you saw their reaction to the finished images, it just lifted you right back up.
That’s Matt and I retouching (above) as photo assistant Pam Hazelwood waits for us to finish up a retouch or two late in the day.( iPhone Photo by Brad Moore).
The moment that it really hit for me how special Help-Portrait is, was when a mother tearfully told me that this was the first photo even taken of her two-year-old son. There were a lot of tears on both sides of the lens, but luckily there were some real tears of joy, too as they got their photos, and beautiful photos of their children.
Of course, we were just one small link in a very big chain that reached around the world as photographers and retouchers were doing the same thing all over the US, and all over the world, touching the lives of so many people who otherwise couldn’t afford to have a professional portrait made. Please take a moment to share in this day, and visit the Help-Portrait Website, right now, and then next year join in yourself and become part of something very special. I promise you, it’ll be one of the most enriching and important things you do all year.
P.S. A big thanks to my assistant, photographer Brad Moore for all he did so we could be a part of this very special movement, and to Jeremy Cowart for having the idea, and taking the initiative to make a real difference in the world.
Scott, Matt, RC, Brad and Crew,
It was great working with you guys on Saturday! Not only was it an amazing experience, but it completely opened my eyes to what a little bit of time helping others can really accomplish. Being part of such a huge movement was incredible, and I can’t wait for next year!
I do have one regret, however: The few hours I spent with the Spiderlite TD5s is going to lead to a big dent in my wallet! Awesome, awesome stuff.
Thanks again!
Mike Lemovitz
Scott, Matt, Brad and RC were just awesome at Operation PAR. The team of photographers, make up artists, and assistants were all very moved by their interaction with our ladies and their children. The ladies were overawed that all these folk would lavish such attention on them to help them feel so good. The team were surprised by the honesty in the interactions and the genuine gratitude of the ladies for something we take for granted much of the time. The whole experience was moving and we all came away with a lot more than came with. Thanks to Epson for the paper and cartridges, to Brad and RC especially in assisting with the organization, to Jeremy for his vision. I encourage all of you to do Help-Portrait next year. I’ll certainly do this again.
Thanks for this many good and inspirational posts.
This is a wonderful concept that Jeremy has started. We have decided to do our shots this Saturday with some handicapped children during the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas football game. These children come from all over the world to our pediatric orthopedic hospital in Greenville,SC. We were not able to photograph at our visit Sat. at the hospital (HIPPA laws) but the teams visited the children. I plan on photographing the ones that come to the game with the players and giving the families a copy. Last years Animoto video of the game w/kids are available to see at http://www.kentoneyphoto.com or follow the link after this weeks game at http://www.shrine-bowl.com. There are three of us shooting this event. I hope to see this become even a larger event next year (help-portrait). This is such a good thing to do for people who may not even think (in hard times) to have a photo made.
Ken,
There should be a way to do a disclaimer to satisfy ignorant laws. Shriners should have an attorney that could work through that. If you are doing a family unit, parental release should work.
We get releases for medical photography, a little different I realize. Take some examples/stories from other Help-Portrait events and share them. Someone will see the benefit and kick administration into gear.
Dennis McCutcheon vp Asociacion Vine International Guatemala
Well a nice and sweet Christmas idea. thanks.
Had a great time!
I’m kicking myself for not having been involved in this. My teenaged daughter assisted a Help-Portrait group in Toronto and couldn’t say enough good about it. Next year, for sure!
Scott, you look like you are about to lay a beating on your Wacom tablet in the photo above.
Trev J.
It was a great day at Operation Par on Saturday. The ladies are wonderful, and to see their excitement over the whole process was inspiring. It was great meeting the ladies and working with such a cool, fun, helpful and compassionate group of volunteers.
This year at a local Title I elementary school I took my camera and did class photos of the kids in their Halloween costumes. I edited the photos and then printed 5 by 7 photos for each kid. They loved the photos. I plan on doing the same thing when Santa visits the kids. The biggest cost for me was my time and in bringing my equipment. The joy it brought to the kids was well worth it.
This project you are talking about gave a joy to those who couldn’t normally afford it far beyond what my project did. I just received a small amount of the joy you would have. It is neat how it happens, but when we share our talents, we get far more out of it then we give.
I actually just heard about Help-Portrait this monring on my local news and it really touched my heart. This is my first year working as a photographer and I know I will not be able to make it happen this year but I want this to be something I give back to my community each year. I posted about it on my FB page this morning and I’m hoping to get more photographers together in my area to begin making this happen each season!
Hi Scott,
What a wonderful feeling to be a part of something special like this, and that too when Christmas is approaching. Very touching. A lot of your posts have always been inspirational and this one also does that.
Sometimes things are in our mind that, I need to go at certain places, take some photographs, had over prints and make someones day. I do not know or what stops me. This post really pushes me further to go and make someone happy. Thanks for this.
I am surfing right now on the hp link, very moving. Keen to become a part of this. Signing up right now.
Thanks a lot for this.
We had a wonderful time at ours here in Lima, Oh. We ended up with 2 photographers, 4 make-up / hair people, 4 computer / printer operators, a videographer, and an emcee. We did ours on Friday at a food pantry, so we had to get the pictures printed and in their frames before people left.
The change in people’s attitudes after their hair and make-up was done was astounding. I am very appreciative of being invited and VERY glad I accepted. Our organizer, Eric Meffley, made a short video on his website… http://www.ericmeffley.com
That’s so awesome, I had a fabulous time too (working at a Childrens Home in Soweto).
It was a wonderful idea!
Great story. It’s experiences like these that allow us to experience the true Christmas. Great job Scott!
Great post! I saw it on TV and I thought it was a great idea. But reading your post, I had tears in my eyes. Well done guys!!!
Hey Scot, I was checking my e-mail on yahoo and saw a picture of Tiger. Looks like one of yours, is it?
We had a great time in San Rafael California. We shot 68 portraits from 2 weeks old to 70 years old. Great experience.
i just signed up. I hope I can join in next time! Im in San Francsico and have a 2200sf studio we can use hit me up
photoguy@390inc.com
Just saw a clip about this on CNN — what a wonderful program! Congratulations Jeremy and all who made this a reality!
Thanks Scott,
I read about the HELP-PORTRAIT event on your blog about 4-6 weeks ago. I signed up and did the event Saturday here in CARROLLTON, Texas. For me, it was thanks to you it all happened.
Regards,
This is terrific; thanks for bringing it to our attention. Sorry I missed it but I’ll be signing up next year.
Thank You ,Scott (and Your’s Friends). Very nice and lovely Your jabs!
Take care and many year’s long happyness life
P.S. I’m sorry for my bad english
Scott, I want to thank you for giving Jeremy the ‘guest-blogger’ spot way back when. I signed up for the project and It was a very special day. I can’t wait until next year!
Thanks again!
here is the CNN clip about Help-Portrait with Jeremy
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/12/13/long.portrait.goodwill.cnn?iref=allsearch
I participated in Help-Portrait in Vancouver, British Columbia. Here is a video link that shows some of the reaction to an extremely successful event held in the Downtown East-side section of Vancouver. Our studios were set up in the Salvation Army Grace Mansion residence and we were privileged to take portraits of hundreds of families, homeless and disadvantaged persons. This truly was a most rewarding and uplifting experience for all of those who participated on both sides of the cameras. Thanks to Steve Tan for producing this fine video. http://stevetan.net/blog/2009/12/13/help-portrait-vancouver.html
Applause for your Help Portrait work. We have mission teams in Guatemala to help Christian hospitals and orphanages. Children are a big part of the work here as it is a ‘young’ population group. I tell all the teams to buddy up when taking photos of kids. The second camera held at the ready to take portraits of the kids as they see themselves in the first camera.
The other trick here is to take a photo, (Guatemalans often won’t smile for a camera) and as you lower your camera try to hold it on the subject. Smile big and say muchas gracias and snap again. The second picture is often better than the first. That is when you get to see how friendly Guatemala is!
Keep up the good work. May it spread rapidly and widely.
In Christ, Dennis McCutcheon, vice-president Asociacion Vine International Guatmala
Scott, I am one of the organizers for Help-Portrait. We owe you a big thank you. You helped launch this idea and look what we have now:
36k portraits given, by 3002 photographers with 4422 volunteers in 511 locations in 41 countries.
So, thank you for using your platform to help us launch ours. That, in an of itself, is generosity at it’s finest.
kyle
Great to hear that you enjoyed Help Portrait as well Scott! Keep up the great work!