A long and beautiful day

‘t Was a mighty cold day on the streets, but a heartwarming one in our Help-Portrait studios in Herentals!

Great hosts from the CAW Kempen, a wonderful MUA team, and a lot of hard-working, inspired and at times crazy photographers were ‘open for business’ for a whole Saturday, taking pictures of people that for once got to take their rightful place under our spotlights. All pictures shot remain solely for the eyes of the models-for-a-day, so I cannot share these many images of joy, excitement and gratitude.

Heavy snowfall and icy winds made it hard at times for our guests to make it to our shooting are. The resulting less busy moments of the day were quickly turned into opportunities to serve as each other’s models, demonstrate lighting setups, discuss composition or share post-processing tips. So here comes a small selection of portraits I shot from fellow H-P photographers:

Robbie came all the way from Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands 

Lander discovered new ways to use gaffer tape 

Michel posed for a Dutch school painting…

…but then accidently looked into the book! 

And, to end in beauty, one of the hosting CAW’s staff members:

All in all a fun-filled and most rewarding day, more than worth our effort (and the slow and slippery trek back home). I can’t wait to spend more good times with this bunch of fantastic friends!

Gear notes: D700, 24-70/2.8G, 85/1.8D

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Countdown!

In three days, the Help-Portrait movement will one more time burst into action all over the world.

Help-Portrait was formed as a non-profit organization in 2009 by Nashville-based celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart. The underlying idea is that a photographer has the unique ability to help someone smile, laugh and return their dignity. Help-Portrait volunteers reach out to those that normally would not have the opportunity, energy, means or guts to have their portrait taken – and keep it! More than anything else, it’s about opening up and giving attention to those so often passed over and so easily overlooked in our society.

In December 2009, more than 41,000 portraits were given by 3400 photographers and over 5000 volunteers were involved.  Help-Portrait became a global movement in 543 locations in 42 countries. The rapid growth of this organization is a perfect example of social media use for good as people share ideas and stories through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and blogging.

Last year, Belgium was represented by a team in Turnhout. I had the pleasure of being part of it, you can read more about that event here and here on this blog.

For this year, the 2009 ‘veterans’ have split up and will bring their experience to two sites: Hasselt (looking to become a very big meet-up, with over 10 photographers) and Herentals (a more modest setup with ‘only’ 8 shooters, including yours truly).

Time now to start packing photo and lighting gear (a full studio set for myself, and some strobist stuff for others to borrow if needed). I have such wonderful memories of last year’s event that I am more than excited to go out again…!

Gear notes: n/a

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Help Portrait 2009 – The Movie

Back in December, I participated to the Belgian edition of the Help-Portrait movement started worldwide by US photographer Jeremy Cowart (see this post).

Just recently, a small video on our wonderful experience got completed.

 

Thanks to Karine and Filip for saving these memories!

To give, not to take…

Perhaps you never heard before about Help-Portrait, a movement started by US photographer Jeremy Cowart. Around the weekend of December 12, more than 8300 photographers and volunteers assembled at 715 locations in 42 countries. Their mission: to take, print and hand out portraits to people in need, for free. All together more than 40,000 individuals portraits were delivered.

I had the privilege to be part of the one and only Belgian team participating. 7 photographers and a few more helping hands set up shop at ‘De Lange Gaank’, a community walk-in center in Turnhout, on Friday, December 11. We organized no less than 4 shooting areas – 2 with studio flashes, 2 more strobist-style – as well as a fully loaded post-processing and printing center.

With the first candidates already queuing up, we concluded our practical arrangements, distributed radio flash triggers and got started on what was to become a memorable (and hectic) day.

It’s impossible to describe how it felt seeing our models-for-a-day quickly warming up to the occasion and finding them engaging with full enthusiasm. Not to forget our final reward: all the smiles and twinkling eyes as people received their printed pictures!
 We must have shot between 80 and 100 portraits that day, more than enough to keep the editing computers busy, photographers patiently awaiting their turn. And then there were the pictures of the center’s staff and volunteers, who of course also had to get into the spotlight! Even the crew from the regional TV station left with a personal souvenir of their passage.

We are still finalizing a short video with an account of the day and a selection of the pictures we took. I will keep you posted!

Gear notes: D300, 10.5/2.8 - D700, 50/1.8, 24-70/2.8

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