Local Photographers Share Their Skills To Create Holiday Gifts

Help Portrait, founded by Celebrity Photographer Jeremy Cowart, is a community of photographers, coming together across the world to use their photography skills to give back to their local community.

Mr Cowart started taking portraits for free in Nashville of people who would otherwise not be able to have a portrait taken. The event became so successful and popular that Mr Cowart founded Help Portrait in 2009 and it spread to 42 countries around the world in just one year.  The project is all about photographers grabbing their cameras, finding people in need and taking their picture. When the prints are ready, the photographs get delivered. It’s about giving.

Flagpole Photographers Club Co-President Anne Eigen found out about the event and presented it to the Newtown based club. With immediate positive feedback from the club, Ms Eigen initiated the effort by gaining interest, creating a committee and starting the planning process.

Anne Eigen and Donna White co-chaired the event which, on Saturday, December 11, visited Maplewood in Newtown and set up two portrait studios. Thirteen club photographers, assistants, hair and make-up artists participated in the event, during which several residents and family members took advantage of the opportunity to have a portrait taken.

Before residents and family members had their portraits taken, they had the option of having professional makeup and hair styling done. Residents enjoyed having the attention and primping before the session.

Residents and families were allowed to preview the photos that had been taken, and chose their favorite for printing. They seemed happy with the results and several wanted to know how quickly they could get the digital files, which are being emailed, for inclusion in holiday greetings.

The favorite photo will be edited, printed and packaged with some gifts, a holiday card, and an ornament and delivered directly to participating residents this week. For the photographers, this offers an opportunity for a second interaction with residents and perhaps an opportunity to leave another smile.

Co-chair Donna White thought the residents and volunteers all had a fun and rewarding time.

“At one point, I had to break up a ‘party’ in one of the studios with a resident and family member to get the volunteers to a photo shoot,” she said. “And I saw smiles, hugs and at one point heard people laughing all the way down the hall.  What could be better than that?

“Remembering the saying that ‘laughter is the best medicine’ makes me think we brought some good medicine to Maplewood. I can honestly say that we touched some hearts, made some memories and left some smiles,” she continued.

“It was an amazing experience of teamwork and connections,” co-chair Anne Eigen said on Sunday. “Yesterday each person contributed his or her special talents and expertise within a framework that worked beautifully. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this extraordinary event and am deeply grateful to [the photographers, assistants and stylists] and also to those dear residents and their families for a day I will never forget, a day full of heart, spirit ... and fun!”