Jueves 22 de Diciembre de 2011 14:00
 A link to the original article can be found here: http://www.pr.com/press-release/378858
They call themselves The Soul Catchers, and they are a group of photographers from Broward County, who have decided to give back to their community by supporting Help-Portrait, a worldwide movement founded in 2009 by celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart. For one day every year, photographers all over the world donate their time to provide free portraits for those in need, the homeless, low-income, and struggling families, who would otherwise not be able to afford a professional portrait with their loved ones.
This is the first time that Help-Portrait is available to the community of Fort Lauderdale, thanks to The Soul Catchers and The Salvation Army. "This is a great way to give back to the community with what we do best, and create a difference in people's lives. We don't realize how much a portrait is worth for someone who has lost it all"-said Huba Rostonics, founding member of The Soul Catchers.
Huba Rostonics started months ago to push the initiative on the web and social media outlets and assembled a core group comprised by Dawn Dunsmore-Event Coordinator, Kelly Galiciewski-Photography coordinator, Zaakirah Muhamad-Volunteer coordinator, Enrique Martin-IT and Systems lead and Michelle Cameau-Hair and Makeup lead. Presscott McDonald joined along the way and came up with the Soul Catchers name. The group grew to more than 30 volunteers, including photographers, photography assistants, hair stylists and makeup artists that came together at the event.
“It is not very well known, but some of the people at the shelters are complete families, who may have not even brought their situation onto themselves, and they are struggling to keep high the morale of their spouse and children while they get back on their feet. A beautiful portrait that reflects back the image that they would rather want to see of themselves can be a tremendous boost in their confidence and self-esteem, a key component in the road to recovery,” explained Rostonics.
The event took place on December 10th at The Salvation Army, located at 100 SW 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. 70 families and individuals were portrayed. A fully released electronic copy and a total of 230 prints will be handed out to the families this Christmas by the Salvation Army, thanks also to Coya Images, who made possible printing at a very low cost.
“This was a fantastic experience, the sense of camaraderie between all the professionals at the event it was just exhilarating and some of the stories we gathered are inspiring, like the family who was never portrayed before, the grandmother whose grandchildren live far from her or even the carpenter caught by the slowdown in the building industry who wants to try a career in modeling!”- continued Rostonics.
Lilly Gallardo, Director of Social Services for The Salvation Army-Fort Lauderdale, when asked about her experience with the event, added -"we believe it was a very successful event and we hope we can work together again. Here at The Salvation Army, hearing touching stories of people in need and desperate for help is part of what we do, but I am always moved when I hear people open their heart to us. For me it is a privilege. I guess we never think about how important it is to capture a moment. Some of us take it for granted: we want a portrait? We go to a photo studio! But giving the opportunity to capture a moment for the families we saw on December 10th was very important to them and to us. I'm glad The Soul Catchers were all here to make this possible!"
The Soul Catchers are already looking forward to host the event again next year and with everything they learned, they are expecting it to be a much larger event. To get advanced notice, sign up for their mailing list at http://www.TheSoulCatchers.org.
About the Soul Catchers:
The Soul Catchers are an informal group of photographers, hair stylists, and makeup artists who have decided to donate their time and resources to bring an uplifting spirit to those who need it the most, through the gift of photos. The initiative was started by Huba Rostonics; photographer, photography instructor and blogger. Before he moved from Madison, WI in 2011, he participated in the 2010 Help-Portrait event. For more information on The Soul Catchers and Huba Rostonics, visit http://www.TheSoulCatchers.org and http://www.Rostonics.com
About The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the array of social services ranging from food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
About Help-Portrait:
Celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart formed Help-Portrait, a non-profit organization, in 2009 as he contemplated using his skills and expertise to give back to those who do not have the opportunity for a professional photo. As of November 2011, Help-Portrait has inspired events all over the world. From Bangalore, India to Ghana, Africa. The language of Help-Portrait crosses cultural and socio-economic barriers.
Viernes 09 de Diciembre de 2011 21:42
This is going to be my last post before the event. I am sitting in our patio with my wife. We are enjoying a glass of wine and have shifted from our own version of crackers and cheese to roasted marshmallows. As a family, we have been through ups and downs, moved away and back; but still got our house, our jobs and our business.
And while I look into the flames I think about those who may not have been so lucky.
When you get struck by a life-changing event, it is too easy to spiral down in a self-demeaning fall. And pride is probably the hardest thing to recover.
We have a unique opportunity to restore hope and pride in the people we will be photographing tomorrow. This can be the difference to get that job they have been searching for or to be able to recognize that not all is to blame on them and be able to look at their family in the eye.
Let's be that difference tomorrow!
I am proud to be a part of this!
(954) 727 3350
|
Sábado 03 de Diciembre de 2011 14:42
Us photographers say "f8, and be there", and that's the essence of documentary photography, referring to two fundamental aspects of the craft: one, the technical proficiency, the knowledge on how to manipulate your camera into the right settings so that you get sharpness and good exposure, and second, to be there, to capture the moment.
Photography is most of the time a lonesome endeavor -especially if you don't shoot commercially- where it is you, your camera and your subject. With time, you learn all the knobs and buttons of your gear and commit the movements to muscle memory. Then, the camera disappears in your hands and it becomes just you and your subject.
The reality of Commercial Photography is that you are always working with people: models, assistants, art directors, talent and advertising agencies, etc. but I am talking about the photography that 95% of the people experience.
However, at our Help Portrait event here in Fort Lauderdale, we are estimating 200 families and individuals here! We need to work like clockwork (or better like shutter and flash) together!
We have to ensure that we can do "f8, and be there" AS A TEAM.
If you still want to collaborate, please get in touch with us to get you in in the planning phase.
Miércoles 23 de Noviembre de 2011 10:04
Lewis Carroll was up to something when he wrote his Alice in Wonderland tale. We all know that, but one of his famous thought-benders was the un-birthday. Carroll did not just come up with this idea for simple experimentation, but to show how us humans put special importance to dates and events when what we would really want is to perpetuate them in time and through our lives instead.
Tomorrow is THE day to be grateful about all the things that we have received. For us photographers, it means giving thanks for the weather, for the golden hour, for the fleeting smile on a face, and for the miracle of capturing the moment. We would also thank those that appreciate our work and thank even more those that put their wallet where their words are, allowing us to perpetuate our habit for expensive German or Japanese engineering.
But what do we do on the un-Thanksgiving days? To continue to be grateful for all these things year-round is what keeps us going and what builds a photographic practice. The essence of a great photograph is to discover beauty in our subjects, to fall in love with them, and be grateful for the opportunity. This includes all subjects, landscapes, tabletop photographs, etc. but as Annie Leibovitz states about her gorgeously expressive and tell-tale portraits: "A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people". There is no way of making a great image without being taken away by your subject first and feeling gratitude.
Now, what about all those things that are NOT photographed? The moment that fell short or in-between one of your 5-fps frames? The scene you saw in the corner of your eye and when you turned to look it was gone? The one your camera saw from within the bag?
How about all those where you never left the house? And then, there are those portraits that never came to exist because the person never got on front of a photographer, maybe they just could not afford it, or it just never came to their minds.
This December 10, join us at Help-Portrait Fort Lauderdale at The Salvation Army. For more details and to donate to make THE PRINTS possible, go to http://www.TheSoulCatchers.org
In the meantime, give thanks for the light and shadows equally!
|
