How Can I Help?
In 2015 I continued a portrait project that I had started a few years prior in my old Central Massachusetts studio. It's called the Simple Shot Experiment, and details can be found in the menu of this website.
There hadn't been a charitable aspect to the Simple Shot Experiment in prior years, but for 2015, I picked three charities to donate 100% of the shoot fees to. In 2015 we raised $2400, and split that three ways. In 2016 we raised $10,000. A good jump. In 2017, $15,000, and this year we'll be able to raise more than $18,000.
Anyway, in 2015, after making an $800 donation to the Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO), I got a call from Dr. Jane Aronson, the founder of WWO. We chatted, and agreed to try and figure out a way for us to work together.
Just a few short months later, Dr. Jane called and asked if I could go to Haiti. I said "yup."
That "yup" has changed my life. Since that trip to Haiti in May of 2016, I've also been to Ethiopia and Bulgaria photographing WWO's programs in action.
It was after the trip to Ethiopia that I made a commitment to myself to try and do at least four weeks of pro bono work for non-governmental organizations around the world each year.
Doing this work gives me a sense of purpose.
When I do commercial work for my clients, it gives me great professional satisfaction. I'm solving visual challenges, and working with clients to achieve their goals with photos. Trying to communicate a client's message through images is what I've been doing for twenty years.
But it's not really "helping" people.
Through this NGO and pro bono work, I get to actually help organizations that are helping others.
It is the most rewarding work that I have ever done.
WWO will always have a place in my heart, and I will go wherever they need me to go, always, but I'm also looking to do work with other causes that I care about.
Climate Change
Child Poverty
Environmental Clean Up
Animal Welfare
Clean Water
Child Labor
If you are someone, or if you know someone working with an international NGO who could use some help with photography or videography, please reach out.
I'll see if I can help.
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