I wanted to share some of the things I gave my sister for Christmas.  First is a family portrait I took of them earlier in the year in a little park here in Manassas.  I found a nice “Family” frame for it at the store and printed it in a split tone to match the coloring of the frame.  She has a really great family, and I think this shows it off!

I also had a calendar printed, which is quite cool!  I’ve got one on my wall here at work.  They’re available for purchase if you contact me.

Saw this video published at lunch and couldn’t wait to post it! The video turned out great, and Help-Portrait is such a wonderful message. I’m in the green sweatshirt at the beginning, right after the lady that says it’s “Awesome!” Shot my part with a Nikon D300sand Nikon 50mm f/1.8D.

Enjoy!

You can read my other posts on Help-Portrait at:

- Help-Portrait
- Help-Portrait Recap

Some behind-the-scenes photos are on my Facebook page. You can read more about Help-Portrait on their website, visit their YouTube Channel, and find them on Facebook and twitter.

We got there around 12:30 — I had planned to be early but apparently as photographers we’re an early bunch because many were there before me!  That made me feel good, because I’m not much of a fan of waiting for people to show up.  Backgrounds were being set up, lighting was being discussed and tested, gear was being tested, and when the printers got there, test shots were printed.  Everything was working out smoothly!  By the time 1:30 rolled around, we already had a few folks ready to have their portraits taken so we got started.  We rotated people in and out, utilizing three separate portrait stations, covering just over 2 hours of time.  Each person or family was talked to as if they were the most important person in the world, because they were!  Nobody was hurried in and out, which made the smiles even bigger.  Family expressed their thanks many times over to all of us, genuinely touched by strangers (many of us hadn’t met before) coming together to do something so wonderful.  After their portrait(s) was/were taken, we printed them immediately and in less than two to three minutes, we were delivering their prints to them during the party.

As I said, many of us didn’t know each other, but by the end of the day, we all became friends.  I’m honored and proud to be part of this project, and even more honored and proud of the twelve other people I got to work with that day.

I can’t wait to do it again sometime.

Here’s the group photo, and my behind-the-scenes photos are on my Facebook fan page here.

Photo by Bill Gercken

Help-Portrait was a worldwide effort on 12/12, with projects happening all over the globe.  You can do a Google search for Help Portrait to read all the news stories, or start with this one by CNN (videos here and here).  You can also find Help-Portrait on twitter and Facebook.

A little while back I heard about Help-Portrait, a way to give back to the community using our talents as photographers. I sat on it for a while and eventually signed up after seeing the video below.

Everyday I’m thankful for the things I have, the people around me, my job, my health, etc. But with the holidays approaching we’re reminded that there are those who are less fortunate, whether they don’t have a job, no family around, nobody to go home to — whatever the case may be, there are people who don’t have as much to be thankful for as I do. I’ve often wanted to find a way to give back, in some way, and help someone who needs it. I think Help-Portrait is a great way to do so, and if I can make someone smile by doing something I love, it’s win-win!

The Northern Virginia/Washington DC chapter of Help-Portrait could use some volunteers, whether they’re photographers, people who can do hair/make-up, as well as those willing to bring food, donate books, blankets, clothes, etc. We’ll be getting together on Thursday night, November 12, by the Chick Fil A in Ballston Common Mall to plan the official Help-Portrait day, which is Saturday, December 12. You can find out more about Help-Portrait in your area and sign up here.

You don’t need to be a pro (I’m not!), but you do have to be willing to help. If you can help, I hope to see you there! If you can spread the word or know of someone who can help out, please email me at robert@rekphoto.com or direct them to the website above.

You can also find Help-Portrait on:

• Twitter
• Facebook

Thank you!