Throughout the conversation, I learned about an organization I hadn’t heard about before, the Jack and Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation.  I don’t want to simplify the incredible work they do, but in regards to David’s assignment, think of it as Make a Wish for adults. 

The Hyde family is dealing with the mother’s fight with cancer and wanted to do a family vacation to San Diego. The Jack and Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation picked up the cost and made the arrangements for their family vacation. The Westin Gaslamp Quarter, where David works, was the hosting hotel. As part of their family wish, they wanted to have a series of family portraits done on the beach in La Jolla, CA. Knowing David was also a photographer, the hotel asked him if he wanted to donate his time and expertise.

David jumped at the chance to give back, identifying with the family’s challenge, having gone through so much of their pain when his own mother was fighting cancer.

“I actually got more out of the shoot than the Hyde family did,” David told me. “We’ve become great friends and being able to give back made this an experience that will remain a highlight of my career.”

I didn’t need to hear any more from David to know he had the privilege of experiencing something so many photographers miss, the opportunity to truly have your life enriched by an experience with a unique client.  This is about paying it forward and utilizing that almost magical skill set exclusive to photographers, the ability to capture memories!

In terms of feeling good about what you’re doing as a photographer, it doesn’t get any better than this!

I put out the call to action for ideas for Charity Fest on the Skip’s Summer School page on Facebook, asking what things people were doing to give back.  Levi was the first to step up and posted the following:

There is no such thing as a project too small.   As a photographer you have a very unique skill set and the ability to give back to your community in so many different ways.  Your efforts, no matter what the cause, are helping to make the world a better place and if we have to do it one project or community at a time, who cares?

In the last two Charity Fests I received  so many great comments. Reading what other people are doing in charitable causes has given more photographers new ideas on how they too can get involved and create their own charitable moments.  

Two years ago Karen Sperling wrote on face book:

I saw your posts about photographers who give back. At the same time, I was getting feedback that not only were my tutorials helpful, but also that I was good at marketing…Your posts and this feedback gave me an idea: to put this “marketing”–or as I think of it, encouraging– to additional good use, and to donate 10% of all proceeds from the deluxe hardcover edition of Painting for Photographers to charity!

So, you need to share your projects with me so we can share them with other photographers. Send your program descriptions to me by Monday and next week we’ll launch the third annual Charity Fest. Your inspiration will take all of us to new heights and together we just might create a new level of awareness and appreciation for the professional photographic community!

Note:  Submissions need to be in my mailbox at skip@mei500.comstarting now and running through Monday, August 15. I need 2-400 words with images 4×5 at 72 dpi! And if you know of somebody doing something great to give back, send me the information and maybe we can find out more to share with everyone!

Yesterday I wrote a post about being more involved and listed a few of my favorite charities. Jeff Settle added another soon to be favorite to the list, HeartsApart.Org.  Their mission statement says it all:

“HeartsApart.org was created to keep families connected while our military men and women are serving abroad. Through the efforts of our community’s finest photographers, HeartsApart.org provides our soon to be deployed servicemen and women with pictures of their spouses and children. The photographs are printed on waterproof and durable bi-folded cards, which fit securely in their uniform pocket. HeartsApart.org believes that our military personnel deserve and need the memory of their families to carry them through the difficult times that lie ahead.”

I was able to talk directly with Brett Martin, executive director and founder of HeartsApart.org.  Ever talk with somebody for the first time and just know it’s the start of a great friendship? Well, that’s what I felt when I hung up the phone and started writing this post. 

If you’ve ever had a moment where you wondered if your photography could really make a difference in someones life, watch this video interview with Brownie Harris, Director of Photography for HeartsApart.org.

Here’s a little more background. Brett, after growing success in other businesses, just felt it was time to give more back. As he talked, his passion for being involved echoed that same enthusiasm I’ve heard from Jim Davis Hicks at Thirst Relief, Sandy Puc with NILMDTS and Betsey Chesler with Cameras For Kids Foundation. It’s that unmistakable passion for giving something back and doing something more with your life!

He founded HeartsApart.org a year ago and already has a hundred photographers involved in the project with an outstanding goal to touch two thousand families this year.  Now, think about that number and imagine what HeartsApart.org could do with help from a thousand photographers!

I’m always getting calls from photographers looking for suggestions on how to get more involved in their community and here’s a great one, but there’s one BIG qualifier – HeartsApart.org isn’t looking for just any photographers. They absolutely need only the best! If you think about the application, they can’t afford to compromise. This is about providing nothing less than incredible portraits of the very highest standard to our service men and women.

Here’s their call to action off the HeartsApart.org website.  

Our hope is that photographers around the country will join the cause. For more information on how to get involved as a photographer, contact us at Photographers@HeartsApart.org.

In all honesty, this is one of those days when I wish I was a better photographer!

The story was sent to me by Michael Allen, a professional photographer from InDesign Creative.  His “partner in crime” is piano composer John Albert Thomas.  It’s a great connection between two creative types, each sharing a common goal; to ease the pain of a family who has lost a child.  The other common denominator is NILMDTS and their incredible efforts in establishing a membership of thousands of photographers who volunteer their time to help.  

John and I are in production right now of a short inspirational film with interviews from one family who has lost a child and their story of inspiration. I’ve volunteered my services to produce, write and shoot this film. Each year I try to find a project that I can get involved with using my talents as a photographer and filmmaker. Our vision with this film is to help John better describe what NILMDTS does and why it is so important. John will be using this film on his website and in marketing of this project.

Last year I shot images and helped create a short film about a family whose dad was stricken with cancer. Each year I hope to continue to find special projects I can get involved with.  As photographers, we have a gift that needs to be used. 

Since the release of the Canon 5d MarkII, the ability to create professional HD films is so much more affordable. In the past I had to spend a lot of money on very expensive professional video cameras and equipment.  Producing a high quality film used to be a lot of work.  When I saw Vincent Laforet’s first film using the 5d, I was hooked with this amazing new technology.  Michael Allen

This recent Charity Fest submission by Sue Brown is the Grand Buffet of giving back projects.  In fact, Sue’s last sentence says it all, “Giving back is very addicting.  The more we do, the more we want to do!” From working with the local Children’s Museum to helping local businesses with marketing material for the holidays, Sue and her husband are totally involved in their community. 

That’s what it’s all about!  As a photographer and business person you’re looking for the community to be good to you.  Well, you have to be good to your community!   Sue and her husband are totally committed and obviously will continue to look for new events and projects that give a little back!  I just want to know what energy drink they’re on!

Each year we choose 1 or two charities which we support with several annual projects. Last spring we did a special April Showers event In which we raised $400 for the local Children’s museum.

Our biggest project was the photographing and assisting in assembling a calendar to benefit the Lakeshore Community Cancer Foundation(they provide support for adults and their families who are battling cancer).  We also have a free Halloween portrait event in which the proceeds benefited the LCCF as well.

Every year we photograph kids with Santa at a local shopping event sponsored by the local newspaper in which the proceeds go to charity…..We purchased a Santa suit for this event and my husband/business partner really gets into the role!!!   So this year we did a personal project to help some of  the local downtown businesses.  We created “Santa Art”  that they could use in their marketing for the Christmas season.

My husband spent 22 years in the Military and we have a soft spot in our heart for the military. So, we provide free sessions and other benefits to those who serve.

Giving back is very addicting.  The more we do, the more we want to do…Sue Brown

All of the stories I’m normally sharing in Charity Fest are from photographers who are involved in charitable causes, but we tend to forget about the number of executives in our industry who also spend a great deal of time helping others.  Pete might be retired today, but that doesn’t slow him down when it comes to giving back! 

My wife, Regina and I have been directly involved with 2 charities as well as doing volunteer work at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital.

One of the charites I got involved with is a Cleveland funded charity called COAR, Community of Oscar Arnulfo Romero. He was the Catholic bishop of El Salvador who was assassinated by guerillas while saying mass. He was the voice of the people crying out for civil justice in El Salvador during a civil war that claimed over 70,000 lives and left many children orphans.

Fr. Ken Myers, a priest from Cleveland who was working in El Salvador at the time of the war, established an orphanage for victim children left without parents. Today COAR is not only an orphanage but a fine school for children in grades K -12. 

I went down to visit in 2004 with a group of people from my church led by our pastor. I was so moved by the children I knew I had to become more involved in helping their cause. The children are well taken care of albeit they manage with little more than the bare essentials; they get a good education and a sense of community. 

Soon after my return I was asked to join their Board of directors in Cleveland, which I accepted. There is nothing like the feeling you get form selflessly helping others, especially children who have nothing, not even family. Since then we have helped by giving of our time, talent and treasure to COAR.

I have also sat on the Board of Directors of Flashes of Hope, another Cleveland based charity that donates professional images of children fighting life-threatening illness. The images are taken at the hospital with family and or friends at no charge to the family, packaged in folios and frames and given to the family. The look on the children’s faces when they are being made up with hairdos and makeup is something you can’t forget. It is about putting a smile on a child’s face when otherwise there would be only the look of despair.   

I encourage everyone to get involved and give of your time, talent and or treasure. Pete Cardello

Every photographer has the ability to utilize their cameras in some way to help their community.  Most important of all, every community, as Kirsty has demonstrated, has very different needs.  No matter how you choose to be involved in charitable projects and causes, the issue is all about giving back! 

I was thrilled to be involved with a charity project recently which really made me feel I’d given back to a charity I’d personally benefitted hugely from. I strongly believe in every mother’s right to make choices on how she raises her own children and to have access to information to support her. La Leche league International helped me greatly after the birth of both my children (one in China, and one in Abu Dhabi, both times I was away from my family and support network) so when they asked me to get involved in a project to raise awareness of breastfeeding here in Abu Dhabi I said yes immediately.

When ex-patriots come to live in Abu Dhabi they’re often not sure what to expect. How does this relatively conservative Muslim city live hand in hand with the many cultures and people within its confines? One pressing question for Mums and Mums-to-be is how easy and acceptable breastfeeding is here. And one of the easiest ways to show just how OK it is, is through pictures.

We launched a campaign to find willing models – ladies who would be prepared to breastfeed discreetly in public, out and about around Abu Dhabi – and the models and their beautiful babies of all ages came, and we photographed them – in parks, in coffee shops, in malls, in hotels, inside, outside – all over the city of Abu Dhabi. 

The fruit of all this hard work is the “La Leche League of Abu Dhabi Breastfeeding Awareness Calendar”, which not only will help to raise funds, but we now hope will adorn those coffee shop and hotel walls, and be seen in doctor’s waiting rooms, hospitals, schools, nurseries, gyms and cafes – to show that these places are breastfeeding friendly, and to show that as long as you are respectful of the conservative nature of the city, you can, should, and are welcome to breastfeed all over Abu Dhabi.

Pets are such a huge part of our lives.  One of the very first images you see when you hit Janine’s landing page is a child with a pet.  Information off the Internet estimates 63% of US households have a pet. In addition, it’s estimated there are 73 million dogs and 90 million cats in the US!   Last but not least, an industry survey done a long time ago showed Brides, Babies and Pets as the three most popular reasons people hire a professional photographer.

Janine doesn’t realize that her last line was another important thought for me.  It’s about developing programs to help keep you energized, personl projects.  Her ultimate goal of building this into a body of work for a book some day fits so perfectly with good buddy Nicole Wolf’s blog about personal projects! This is about keeping a passion alive and healthy while at the same time giving back.

Nicole wrote: …”We all have a responsibility when either educating about or participating in a “personal project”, to let ourselves go.  To create a place that others feel comfortable sharing that part of themselves with another human being.  It’s not an easy thing to open up and reveal the most intimate part of who you are, which is what a personal project should be.”

Janine, thanks for being at the top of the list of the first contributor to this season’s Charity Fest!  If you want to read more about Janine’s involvement with the pet shelter, it’s just a click away! The story is on page 5.

I’ve always been a dog lover and although my studio is largely focused on children and families, I wanted to find a way to support a local shelter. Starting last year, I launched my first ever Bark Sessions.

The Bark Sessions are a 2 day event to benefit the Associated Humane Society of Newark. I love featuring family pets in my images.  Shelter dogs, especially, hold a place near and dear to me. My second dog is a shelter dog and it’s important to me for people to understand how many animals are dumped in shelters every year and this was a perfect fit for me.

The Associated Humane Society of Newark receives some of the most abused and neglected dogs in New Jersey. The woman who runs it is tireless in her efforts to find homes for these dogs — many have been beaten or starved, some were used for fighting.

When I contacted her last year, she was thrilled. We made $500 the first year and close to $1200 this year. We’ve already spoken about expanding the program and I’ve expressed interest in coming to the shelter to photograph some of the more abused dogs and follow them through the system to a hopefully happy ending. My goal is to one day publish the stories and perhaps raise more money for the shelter. -Janine Memon-Dietz

For 7 1/2 years at WPPI I repeatedly tried to convince the powers that be to get more involved in charitable causes with little success.  Now we’ve got a chance to create something right from the start.  Imagine the strength we can bring to the industry with a solid foundation like this, right from the beginning!

So, in keeping with the theme of giving back – the timing is perfect to launch Charity Fest III starting next week.  I’m looking for stories about what you’re doing to give back.  Here’s your chance to not only expand awareness for your own projects, but help give other photographers new ideas on things they can start on their own.

Whatever you do, don’t get caught up in thinking your project is too small.  When it comes to giving back to your community, there’s no such thing.  In the past we’ve had stories from a Dad helping his son’s school with their yearbook to fund-raising events to experiences with NILMDTS.  In fact, last year’s story by my good buddy Aurora was read by over 5000 photographers!

Here’s all I need – 2-400 words and if you’re sending images, 4×6 at 72dpi.  If you hate writing don’t worry about it – I’ll help you edit it so it can be shared on the blog.  This is your chance to help inspire other photographers to give back.   Please send your stories and images to skip@mei500.com.

From Oprah Winfrey: I don’t think you ever stop giving. I really don’t. I think it’s an on-going process. And it’s not just about being able to write a check. It’s being able to touch somebody’s life.

And from one of my favorites, Zig Ziglar:  You can have everything in life that you want, if you will just help enough people get what they want!