Giving Back

This post is overdue, but I didn't want 2009 to end without a mention of a fantastic moment in my growth and development as a photographer.

Dec.12, 2009 was designated as Help Portrait Day where photographers around the world donate their time and equipment to  help those less fortunate. I volunteered my Saturday as an assistant at a local community centre that was hosting a toy drive. I was assigned to 2 fantastic Toronto-area photographers for the day.  Our goal, to photograph any individual families, or people that attended the drive and provide them a free 8x10 of the day.

It was a fantastic event for a few reasons:

1) Selfishly, I love to watch other photographers work. I like to see what their thought process is, and how they approach subjects. Luckily, they kept me very involved in helping them through the day, so I didn't feel like a lonely assistant, I truly felt part of the process.  It also helped me validate my own methods when I am shooting, add some neat tricks to my arsenal and reassure myself that I can be successful at this as a career.

2) We met some fantastic families. New immigrants, single mothers, an awesome grandfather. Even though we only had 15 minutes with each subject, it was heartwarming to hear their stories and see them interact in front of the camera (both good and bad).

3) It's good to give back. Even though it felt like something small for me to give (my time), it was huge for these families. To be able to get a gorgeous keepsake of their day, at Christmas, with the people they love was heart-warming.   It reminded me that I need to continue to give back - whether it be to do this again next year, or just to simply share what I am learning to other aspiring photographers.

I think as 2009 closes and we start 2010, I need to remind myself of this feeling of giving and continue to push to learn, share and grow. It's a good way to start a new year.

Update: youtube video of our day - fantastic! Click HERE.

I love Flickr

Finally, all my hard work posting, sharing, and tagging my photos on Flickr has paid off.

I was lucky enough to be chosen from thousands of photos on Flickr to be published in Time Magazine's Special Year-end Issue "The Year in Pictures" - Dec.21, 2009.  I was contacted randomly by the national photo editor, through my flickr account.  The spread is all about Michael Jackson and the various dance events that occured around the world after his untimely death.  I was the only Canadian photo chosen - other cities included Perth, Paris, Amsterdam, Mexico City, London and New York City.

I am still speechless that my first published photo in print was in Time. I've only had the issue on hand for less than 24 hours and already it's dog-eared from the amount of times I've opened it and looked at it.  I could not have imagined getting to this point so early in my photography career, but I am immensely proud and can only see great things in my future.

It's more than having something published - it's being chosen amongst the thousands and thousands of amazing images that are on Flickr that makes me the most proud. On top of that, being the only Canadian representative in a major national US magazine makes me proud to represent the great country I live in.

I know when the days come that I struggle with an idea, or image, I am going to pull out this issue and remember the fantastic set of circumstances that brought this photo to print. And then I am going to remind myself to just keep shooting what I love - for in the end, it will pay off.