Help-Portrait

During the summer of 2009, Help-Portrait began to organize as a movement. The goal was a shift in thinking about photography, and the mission was simple: Find someone in need, take their portrait, print their portrait, and deliver the photos. It was a way for photographers to give purely for the sake of giving, to lift another in need.

The call to action was extended to photographers of any skill level or interest-- whether they be hobbyists or full-time professionals. The call was also extended to makeup artists, designers, and all sorts of people to help promote the cause and make it happen.

To help give the movement something concrete to work towards, a specific date was set when the official Help-Portrait event would happen: December 12, 2009. Through blogs, facebook and twitter, the movement spread, and photographers world-wide got on board with the idea. Photographers had the option of collaborating with other local photographers, or to work alone.

The end result? The response was overwhelming. More than 8300 photographers in 715 locations in 42 countries provided more than 40,000 portraits for the Christmas season in 2009. Lives were touched, relationships were created, love was shared. The sentiment from photographers who participated was very much unanimous. As photographer Kwame Reed put it, "Today was one of the best days I have had as a photographer and as a human being."

The movement is now firmly established, with plenty of room to grow. The date for the next main Help-Portrait event has been set: December 4, 2010. Interested? Whether you're a photographer or want to otherwise assist in making Help-Portrait happen, there are opportunities everywhere.

For more information, and to start getting involved, visit the official web site at www.help-portrait.com. You can also follow @help_portrait on Twitter and find Help-Portrait on Facebook.