It’s easy to get lost in the drudgery of making a living in the creative field. You’re focus drifts from the ‘why’ to the ‘how’. This feeling seems to hit me every winter. I forget why I got started photographing people and often times the jobs I book in this funk don’t seem to satiate whatever purpose I derive from photography.
Photographer Zack Arias made a great video about his experience with a smilier feeling:
Last Saturday I found myself at Community Human Services volunteering at my first Help-Portrait event.
Help-Portrait is a once yearly event that happens on the first Saturday of December. It is a coming-together of photographers, retouchers, make-up artists, hairstylists, and other volunteers to provide portraits to folks who might not otherwise have the means to get their portrait professionally taken.
Even nearly a week later I’m still trying to process the experience. I met so many amazing folks that I otherwise likely wouldn’t have. Whatever feeling of purpose I derive from photography was fulfilled that day and I’m grateful that I was able to share it.
I like to half-joke that the only reason I’m a photographer is that I haven’t yet found a better excuse to meet incredible people and hear their stories. I’m not sure I’ll be able to make that joke anymore because I don’t think a better excuse exists.
Photo by Kris Mortensen.
Photo by Kris Mortensen.
We had an incredible team at CHS’s Lawn Street location. Shooting along-side me were my pals Cory Morton and Kris Mortensen, and new friends Dmitriy Babichenko, Pamela Marie, and Kevin Lorenzi (The organizer of all of Pittsburgh’s Help-Portrait events). I can't wait for next year!
Kevin, Kris, Dmitriy, Pam, Rachel, Cory, me.