Confession: I love having my picture taken.
As ridiculous as this statistic is, I’m going to give it to you anyways: I am currently tagged in 512 pictures on facebook. FIVE HUNDRED AND TWELVE. That’s a lot of “say cheese.”
Including this picture- I’m the second from the left in the blue dress. With eight of my beautiful friends.
So it’s a fairly common experience to have my picture taken. Am I always happy with the results? Absolutely. Not. But the moment has been captured, which is the goal.
I’m sure my life isn’t much different than yours. We have an event, someone [everyone] brings a camera, we document our time together, then we look at the pictures for days, weeks, years to come.
Last month, I was honored to be a part of the practice run for Help Portrait. Help Portrait is an event occurring around the world (truly- in 40 different countries and at least 35 states!) on December 12th.
Help Portrait is a movement of photographers who are using their time, equipment and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate this holiday season.
The photographers take the picture. Then give the picture. No portfolios, no websites, no prints for their own career. Just a family portrait, given back to the family.
And I watched, at our practice event in Nashville, as these women grouped together in front of the camera. So much like my friends and I do all the time.
This simple moment reminded me that we are all the same. Women love to feel beautiful. And they love to be together. It doesn’t matter where you have been, the challenges you have faced, or the heartache you have experienced.
Help Portrait is stepping into the lives of women, men, children, families and giving the sick, the homeless, the broken, the lonely, a reason to smile. A break from the hurt. A captured moment of beauty.
My 512 silly facebook pictures don’t light a candle to the one.
The one, taken by a professional photographer, of a single mom and her kids.
The one, taken by an amateur, of a homeless family who have no portrait together.
The one, taken by a photographer’s assistant, of a sick child and his family at a children’s hospital.
The one, taken at a Help Portrait event, that gives hope to a family that hasn’t seen hope in a long time.
Moments like that really make me smile.
What’s your favorite photo of all time?
_______________
Go to Help-Portrait.com to get involved with the December 12th event in your city.
And if you’re in the (in)courage area, our amazing friends from Novo Studio would love to connect with you about our local Help Portrait.
I have so many favorites…not sure I could pick just one!
What a beautiful project to be a part of, Annie! A family picture-something I completely take for granted-is foreign to many families. What a blessing and a gift!
I think this Help Portrait idea is awesome. What an incredible way to use your talent to serve others!
As for having my photo taken…well lets just say I cannot even fathom being in 512 tagged photos. Although I’m never without my camera, I would consider that pure torture. 512? Yikes. I’d definitely go around “un-tagging” myself. 🙂
What a wonderful way to help others! Giving back in such a way such a wonderful talent.
My favorite is a photograph of my Granddaughter when she was about a minute old. My old OB was my daughters as well and in that minute it shows the doctors hands holding her up for all of us to see her. After that I have so many I wouldn’t be able to make a choice.
Thanks for writing about this.
My favorite photo? That’s easy – my 8 siblings & I threw a 50th anniversary party for my parents. After the hours of celebrating with their friends, all of us headed over to my house to hang out & chill out. The first thing I did was kick off my heels & put on my (hippopotamus feet) slippers. Someone took a picture of my niece & I – she was all dolled up in dress-up clothes (old prom dress & too-big shoes) & I was in my hippopotamus feet (we all dress up in our own special ways). Precious memories!
I have lots of favorites, but I think my favorite at this time is the one of my grandmother and I. She is a breast cancer survivor and a prayer warrior for our family. Love having her smile on my fridge!
Love the Help-Portrait idea! Thanks for sharing!
I love this, Annie! I think my favorites are with my grandmother who is now in heaven. She only saw one of my children a few times and the pictures I have with both of her nuzzling and kissing him are priceless.
Great Idea! wonderful way to reach out~ One of my favorite pics would have to be on the way home from our first vacation with the twins. We stopped somewhere to eat, and my sister took a shot of us. The boys were screaming in our laps and my husband and I’s faces are prices… Love the chaos! =)
I love pictures and video for that matter. I just got the Mercedes of cameras and have been blogging everything.
Then Comes Wife: A Manhattan’s Bride Journey Back to Tradition
Thank you for sharing me with your blog, I have get so much from your blog.Where there is a will there is a way. Believe as long as I work hard to face everything in the life, can we have a bright future. by air yeezy