Mother Teresa was on a flight I was on years ago and spent her life giving back.  

At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.  We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.’

Hungry not only for bread — but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing — but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks — but homeless because of rejection.   Mother Teresa

Yup, he’s quoting Mother Teresa this morning, and hopefully it gets you thinking about how important it is for you to give back - not just as a photographer, but any business in a community.   “Cause-Related Marketing” isn’t a dirty word unless you’re a miserable person and just using charitable acts to fulfill your need for greed!  And, if you are, you’re sure not going to bother reading further anyway!

The bottom line is you’re looking for the community to be good to you, so you’ve got to be good to your community.   The wonderful aspect about being a professional photographer is simply how many different things you can do to give back that utilize your skill set and a little time – that’s all, just a little time.

 Jeremy Cowart proved that with his vision for Help-Portrait, which has become an incredible example for how photographers can give back.

Charity Fest II starts on Monday – but I need your stories to share.   No project is too small.  Any way you’re able to give back as a photographer is going to help get other photographers think more about what they can do in their communities and in the end, as trite as it may sound, we make the world a better place.  Send them to skip@mei500.com and thanks for helping!

Happy Saturday everybody – make it a great one!