Whom have you tried to help with your photography?

[Roger Hicks]

Not necessarily why (or it might fall foul of the 'No Politics' rules), but whom. Not for money, but because you wanted to support them. And not by volunteering help/contributing money, but only via photography. I find my own list shorter than it should be, and increasingly parochial and self-interested as I grow older. Here are the ones I particularly remember, to whom I made my pictures available (they didn't always use them) or where I supported the cause via my own web-site, either primarily or in passing:

Save the Whale (aka Wave the Sail)
CycleBAG (Cycle Bristol Action Group)
The Tibetan Government in Exile
Guadalupe Passion Play (Guadalupe, CA)
The European Union
Rencontres Photographiques d'Arles
Association LAETA (Festival Estivale de la Dive)
Affordable, non-medicalized spas in Europe

Of course, the more we learn about anyone else, the less likely we are to dismiss them as 'other' or 'not like us', and that's important too. Feel free to post links to more-or-less activist sites to which you have contributed. After all, we don't have to click on to the web-site of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party (which is, in a rare moment of honesty, a small but genuine British political party).

Incidentally, if anyone wonders why I am 'wasting' so much time on the forum yesterday and today, I've bought a new, more powerful computer and am trying to install Lightroom, Photoshop, 2x scanner software, etc. ANYTHING is light relief from that! And occupies the time while I'm waiting for things to happen.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Roger: the silence has been deafening for one hour. That says something.

I cannot point to anything I have done with the primary purpose of bringing attention or helping any social group.

I will say that I believe some have benefited indirectly in some very small manner from my work. These would include:

Cuban / American relationships with the people involved.
Minority groups, particularly South Apopka, becoming more visible in the Central Florida community.
The old guard of North Orange County FL as it is being absorbed by local population growth.
Specifically: Apopka Historical Society & Museum.
And lastly, a few lonely women who now have nice photos to put on their Facebook page.

But I will have to acknowledge that my influence has been small or local.

 

[mgd711]

Child Hope Asia. A small charity in Manila that cares for around 2,000 children.

 

[MaxElmar]

It's not much, but I help local artists, musicians, and arts groups by contributing free (or nearly free) photography and design to help with their publicity work. I have a some experience in the communications world and I like to share it with artists who might go unnoticed otherwise. (It's not perfectly altruistic - I really enjoy doing it.)

 

[MatthewThompson]

Local Cancer Society.

 

[jbrubaker]

Hi -I do photos for Kids Hope (a kids mentoring program), my church, and for a 2nd grade school class - field trips and special stuff. ---john.

 

[smiling gecko]

in the past i been one of many, many photographers that spent a day photographing the activities at various united way funded community organizations on the annual " day of caring" event.

i made two trips to beslan, russia in response to the terrorist attack and massacre at middle school number one in 2004. i have some images from the first trip in my rff
gallery. For more images and information please visit my (out-of-date and sorely in need of refreshing) website ; www.neverforgetbeslan.org

 

[back alley]

photography is a hobby, my sanctuary from my real life...which i have dedicated to 'helping' others.

 

[oftheherd]

In the sense of direction suggested by your efforts Mr. Hicks, nothing I am sorry to say. I have mentored a lot of photographers I have met along the way when the chance presented itself. I have done (a long time ago), 4 or 5 weddings for free for those whom I knew to be short of money and would have none if I didn't do it. One of the brides responded by photographing my wedding with a P&S I handed her on my wedding day when I found myself in the same circumstance. She did very well too.

I have taught college level courses, and was paid of course, but I would have been tempted to do if for free. It was so much fun to teach students that I could motivate beyond just getting a grade.

I wish I had the time to do better.

 

[Turtle]

I want to know what has been done for the innumerable cats that have been exploited by RFFers over the years!

 

[swoop]

I'd like to think my work helps sometimes, either by making people notice the plight of others or bringing awareness to issues. Sometimes there are things I photograph where I feel my images will help someone gain attention and public interest but too many times nothing is ever done with those pictures. These days it bothers me to even try because I know no one will ever see those pictures or know a persons story, and I feel like I got their hopes up for nothing.

But directly, I don't think I've done much. I've never been asked to donate my skills either.

 

[robklurfield]

Until very recently, I never considered that my own photography carried any possibility of helping anyone. I have given away a couple of images on request by a small theater company, a jazz journalist and museum curator. I always focused my own (to be honest, woefully insufficient) efforts in the realm of giving either the form of time or money. I never thought anything I shot merited any kind of giving (perhaps because of my choice of subject matter). Now, I'm questioning whether that's true. This thread and Roger's thread on making images of poverty have turned on my guilt which is probably a good thing in these times. Thanks for provoking me into reflecting on this. Perhaps my photography can serve something other than my own selfishness.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Until very recently, I never considered that my own photography carried any possibility of helping anyone.

This is the point, I think.

You don't have to be the best in the world.

You don't even have to be the best they could get.

It suffices to be what they've got, in the absence of anything better.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I contribute photography on a continuing basis to a number of groups, including organizations supporting abused women, animal rights groups and groups helping to feed the poor regionally (Caring is Sharing, etc). Lots of opportunities to help in various ways.

Sadly, things are incredibly tough out there right now for a lot of folks.

 

[robklurfield]

Indeed....

This is the point, I think.

You don't have to be the best in the world.

You don't even have to be the best they could get.

It suffices to be what they've got, in the absence of anything better.

Cheers,

R.

 

[bigeye]

Used my trip snaps for speaking at Haiti relief fund raisers. I'm embarrassed by their low quality - I had no time to 'focus' on photography and my one-handed, spray-and-pray efforts were not that successful. (I figured there were plenty of good shots coming out from others.) I do treasure them as my souvenir, though. Many private memories and stories within.

Haiti

- Charlie

 

[paulfish4570]

lost people, and the poor in spirit ...

 

[mto'brien]

Local drug and alcohol detox center.

 

[alun severn]

A reasonable number of local voluntary groups and community organisations; a handful of specialist not-for-profit publications needing photographs. As Roger says, you don't have to be the best -- but what I have found sometimes is that what you can offer may well be better than anything a small voluntary organisation may have or have access to. In the past few years I have been gratified to see increasing numbers of pictures I've taken being used by voluntary groups in the way I hoped they would be -- in annual reports and other publications, on websites, in updated marketing literature, that kind of thing.

I enjoy the thought of having an audience and they enjoy the pictures and I hope benefit accordingly.

 

[jsrockit]

No one... for me, photography is a selfish thing I do for me... just to stay sane.