I have photographed for non-profits for years. Started out doing the photography for the MS-150, a 2 day event for the MS Society. My current work involves being the official photographer for Jerry's Kids (MDA) in Kansas City, and also the March of Dimes Bikers for Babies. We donate all the work, and provide the charity with a DVD of high res images for their use.
phillip ino wrote:
I too have been providing my services to Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Some of the most difficult things to ever do. But totally worth it. I've been on board for about a year and a half now and can't see myself NOT doing it. It's become a part of me.
I just looked that up and found it quite hard to deal with actually. Well done, just dishing out money to a charity is one thing but actually physically getting involved is something else. Its a different level generosity.
This week, I received an email that had me in tears - I was the NILMDTS photographer for this couple's baby last year, this email was a request for me to photograph their new (live) baby.
I'm a volunteer photographer for Operation: Love Reunited, or OpLove. As a Navy veteran myself with a husband who is currently in Iraq for a year-long tour, I find it hard to edit these sessions without getting emotional. Sessions are donated for deployed or deploying soldiers: either their departure, a family session while they are gone, or their homecoming. www.oplove.org
Stephaniespix wrote:
I am a member of NILMDTS also.
This week, I received an email that had me in tears - I was the NILMDTS photographer for this couple's baby last year, this email was a request for me to photograph their new (live) baby.
That's awesome and is definitely the best part of doing this. Good for you.
unforged wrote:
I'm a volunteer photographer for Operation: Love Reunited, or OpLove. As a Navy veteran myself with a husband who is currently in Iraq for a year-long tour, I find it hard to edit these sessions without getting emotional. Sessions are donated for deployed or deploying soldiers: either their departure, a family session while they are gone, or their homecoming. www.oplove.org
I'll be shooting a homecoming on 12/17 and I am so psyched to do it. I'm a Navy brat, my dad was in Desert Storm and I love being able to volunteer with Oplove.
I shot a wedding for free...the groom got diagnosed with terminal cancer 2 months before his wedding was scheduled to take place. they changed plans, had a small backyard ceremony and he died 6 days later. i would do 40 weddings like this if i could. i've never felt so important (and unimportant at the same time) photographically before.
I shot several senior sessions for single parents struggling in a down economy.
I have mentored several people looking to learn about the business.
I donated a family session for an educational charity in my hometown.
I am doing a photo essay for a hospital that will be posted in a room for doctors to have "the discussion" with family members about letting go of loved ones who are on life support with no prognosis of turning it around. The photos are supposed to help convey the reality (tastefully) that life being lived in a hospital indefinitely brings. The inspiration for the essay was a photo that I took during a previous visit, where there were 16 IV bags hooked up to one patient in the ICU. And he wasn't even on life support. I am nervous to do this project, but it should be a worthwhile outcome.
My wife is a children's portrait photographer and we had the pleasure of shooting Adam and Belle (Brother/sister twins) almost 5 years ago... Last spring we were contacted by Adam and Belle's mother and we were told that Belle had been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis... the local chapter was having a fund-raising walk and she wanted to know if she could hire us to take some photos for the newsletter. It wasn't even a thought. We volunteered to do it for free and we had a really fun time doing.
During the course of the day, we learned that the major drug companies don't consider researching cures for CF to be profitable because there aren't enough people that have the disease for them to get their money back.... because of this, the only research that is being done is being paid for by fund-raising activities like these. We had so much fun and we learned that no matter how sick these kids are... nothing can stop them from having fun and enjoying a great day with friends and family in the park.
Tony Hoffer wrote:
Compassion is a GREAT organization.... I really mean that. GREAT!!
Ya I sponser a kid from there. I have a friend that works for them and it is very organized... everytime you sponser a child from them, the community has a party for them
We've recently teamed up with the All Children's Hospital Guild of Sarasota-Manatee to donate time and our photography for their upcoming Miracle Ball...
This past weekend was their benefit pre-party where we simply went and took some shots of the event and sponsors.
In March we'll be covering the main event by providing a candid look of the evening along with setting up a photobooth of sorts for attendees to purchase pics from to raise money.
We've donated a bit here and there to help a couple out, or by giving to the church we attend, but this is the first actual event to which we're donating
katiedis wrote:
I shot a wedding for free...the groom got diagnosed with terminal cancer 2 months before his wedding was scheduled to take place. they changed plans, had a small backyard ceremony and he died 6 days later. i would do 40 weddings like this if i could. i've never felt so important (and unimportant at the same time) photographically before.
I still remember that wedding, the whole story and the way you "told it" was so heartbreaking, yet beautiful at the same time. I watched it with my husband and we both just cried!
morganb4 wrote:
Sponsor through www.compassion.com and a chunk of every wedding goes to compassion.
Me, too! I'm HORRIBLE at writing, though. I've really wanted to visit.
We give to a few orgs that I feel strongly about. I would be happy to give back in concrete ways (free shoots, raising money through our shoots), but we don't have good following yet. I tried to sign up for NILMDTS, but there isn't one in our area.
Oh - I've donated photography to FCA events in the area. But I guess I never feel like that's giving back. It's just doing what I needs to be done, I guess.
I tried to sign up for NILMDTS, but there isn't one in our area.
I would contact NILMDTS then, you can start one in your area. You can print off info from their site and bring it to area hospitals, so they can know what it is about.
I do a lot of high school senior sessions for kids whose parents can't afford it. Some tough situations out there. Single parents, people dealing with chronic health issues. It's so important to me me that all kids get this one chance at great photos to mark this passage in life. Especially as graduating high school at all is a pretty big accomplishment for some of these young people.
I've done a family session for a single mom dealing with mental health issues who was homeless. I've followed her case and she lost custody right after that, but she is working towards getting it back. I know those photos mean a lot to her.
Nearly all my shooting is donated to some cause or another. My software job pays the bills and my passion for photography allows me to give back to the community.
I find the volunteer stuff I shoot is the most rewarding thing I do. Does that make it selfish to do it?
I've been doing www.oplove.org for a while and also this past April, I sold prints through a personal project called Photography for a Cause and I raised $1009 that was evenly divided and donated to my local Red Cross and Boys & Girls Club.
"The brainchild of celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart, Help-Portrait is a movement of photographers, coming together in every major city, to use their photography skills to give back to the community.
On December 12th, photographers around the world will be grabbing their cameras, finding people in need, and taking their picture.When the prints are ready, the photographs get delivered.
Yep. It really is that easy.
And by the way, we don't want to see your photos. This is about GIVING the pictures, not taking them. These portraits are not for your portfolio, website, or for sale. Money isn't involved here.
This holiday season, you have the chance to give a family something they may have never had before- a portrait together.
Our mission? Our mission at Help-Portrait is simply to equip and mobilize you. We want to make sure you have all the information that you need to successful participate in Help-Portrait on 12.12.09.
We want to help you find other people in your area that are wanting to be part of Help-Portrait or have already begun to plan the event. We want you to have the opportunity to give."
