It`s a new year and a new decade: the perfect time to wipe the slate clean, break old habits and commit to being a more outstanding person. Why not start off by giving back to your community? As photographers, we`re in a unique position to make people happy and improve the world through our craft.
What follows are several ways for photographers to uplift others and do more good. This is by no means a complete list, but a beginning - because we`re looking to you, our dear readers, to help us come up with more great ideas. If you have one, please leave it in the comments below. We`ll look forward to revisiting this list and adding an update in the not-too-distant future.
Make portraits to brighten someone`s day
There are many organizations, global and US-based, seeking photographers to volunteer their time and talent to make portraits. A well-shot portrait - one that captures someone`s essence - is bound to put smiles on faces.
Some of these organizations, like Flashes of Hope and the Gold Hope Project, work to connect families of children with cancer and other terminal illnesses with portrait photographers. These portrait sessions are meant to both make their subjects feel like rock stars and to create photographs that can be cherished. Other organizations, like Help Portrait, are a little more general in their mission: their guiding principle is to uplift anyone in need with a printed portrait.
Still others, like Operation: Love Reunited, connect photographers with families of US military members serving overseas, for professional portrait sessions before, during, and after deployment. Portraits of Love is similar, but also works with the families of first responders as well.
And that`s just scratching the surface. Their are countless organizations and non-profits that aim to make the world a better place through photography. Below are just some of the many I came across while putting together this article, worth your consideration:
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