Post by Cameron:

Yesterday was my birthday. I had an amazing time celebrating with Tracy along with family and friends. But this is not the point of today’s post. Today’s post is about giving back. I consider myself a lucky person – lucky to have a home, people to love, food, warmth, laughter (this can go on and on) so every year Tracy and I choose a cause to give back to. This year for my birthday we decided to join all the talented photographers in my community to give the gift of giving a photograph to families throughout Los Angeles who may have never had the chance to do something this special before. Not only is this in Los Angeles – this is a movement that takes place globally! The project started out last year by founder and photographer Jeremy Cowart. If you are interested in participating next year – check out the Help Portrait website and find your local community to participate. The date has been already set for December 3, 2011.

The Los Angeles Help-Portrait group joined together and helped out four organizations yesterday  – Union Rescue Mission, LA Mission, PATH, and Faith in Christ Ministries (Where Tracy and I specifically volunteered at).  Not only was it great to meet other talented artists but it was great to share our talents as a gift to the community and being that hope for an individual or a family who couldn’t receive a beautiful photograph otherwise.

Once again, if you are interested in joining this movement – please check out the Help Portrait website. And if you are not a photographer, there are other ways to contribute as well – make up artists, documentary film makers, photo printers – is just a short list of what is needed to participate! Below is a photo from the group that we worked with and some videos below. What a great day to give back and to be part of a movement so much bigger than ourselves!

“The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man or one party, or one nation…It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Here is a short clip documented by Marc Blackwell of Blackwell Photography (You can see me in the beginning) I always sound so strange on camera.

Want to learn more about Help Portrait and the idea? Watch below.