The Gift of Giving - A Challenge to Photographers

[dave lackey]

It is a pleasure to share with you something I learned long ago but only recently I was blessed with the opportunity to give a canvas to someone special. The canvas was a photograph of a beautiful moment in her life, and ours. Over the last month, I have thought about this and I firmly believe that we (as my loving bride was an equal partner in the donation) received the greater gift. The gift of giving a photograph was somehow a "spiritual" thing that lifted us above the misery we see everyday as we visit the Emory Rehabilitation Hospital.

It was a wonderful experience for us.

And it all started with pressing the shutter release button on my camera. One finger.

Would anyone not help others by simply lifting a finger? It really is that easy.

This week, I have seen two beautiful people (Liz and Susan) lose their lives in an amazing struggle to survive after years of suffering. One with cancer, the other with leukemia. I missed the opportunity to photograph either one as the motif of my photography. I never had the chance to give them a photograph. But they gave me a gift by the way they lived their lives. I still wish I had taken more photos.

How about you folks? I challenge us all to give, photographically, to those around us. It is also a gift to ourselves.

 

[rybolt]

Well said and a worthy challenge.
I'm going to contact my local hospice and see if I can donate some matted and framed flower pictures that I did recently.

 

[dave lackey]

Well said and a worthy challenge.
I'm going to contact my local hospice and see if I can donate some matted and framed flower pictures that I did recently.

Now that is a great thing! I am sure many people will appreciate your art. And you will be blessed as well. Thank you!🙂

 

[ABrosig]

I was contacted recently by a friend from a town I used to live in looking for photographs of one of the long-time firefighters who's retiring. Without a lot of effort on my part (good archiving system), I was able to find the image she wanted, and more. I emailed them to her and she responded back the next day, asking how she should go about getting me paid. I told her to just tell our mutual friend the images were a gift from me as well.

It never hurts to show a little bit of kindness and take care of your friends.

 

[Nathan King]

I photograph free of charge for a few non-profit organizations which contribute to causes I believe in. Does that count?

 

[dave lackey]

^^Exactly!!!^^

Eight months ago, while shooting my documentary at the Emory Rehabilitation Hospital, there were discussions on my becoming involved with the new therapy program at Emory for Wounded Warriors.

My plate was full and it was impossible to do even one more thing at the time, but today, I am in discussions with admin to offer my photographic services as a volunteer donation for the program. There comes a time. And now, the time has come for me to help.

Yes, it is the right thing to do being selective as one only has so much to give and one wants that gift to go to the right people. In my case, I have an interest in what Emory is doing which is part of inspiration.

The other part is I have witnessed what Leonard Cohen, one of my favorite artists, wrote in his song, "Come Healing":

COME HEALING
by Leonard Cohen

O gather up the brokenness
And bring it to me now
The fragrance of those promises
You never dared to vow

The splinters that you carry
The cross you left behind
Come healing of the body
Come healing of the mind

And let the heavens hear it
The penitential hymn
Come healing of the spirit
Come healing of the limb

Behold the gates of mercy
In arbitrary space
And none of us deserving
The cruelty or the grace

O solitude of longing
Where love has been confined
Come healing of the body
Come healing of the mind

O see the darkness yielding
That tore the light apart
Come healing of the reason
Come healing of the heart

O troubled dust concealing
An undivided love
The Heart beneath is teaching
To the broken Heart above

O let the heavens falter
And let the earth proclaim:
Come healing of the Altar
Come healing of the Name

O longing of the branches
To lift the little bud
O longing of the arteries
To purify the blood

And let the heavens hear it
The penitential hymn
Come healing of the spirit
Come healing of the limb

O let the heavens hear it
The penitential hymn
Come healing of the spirit
Come healing of the limb

 

[Nathan King]

Let me preface, I had an earlier comment I deleted.

I'm different as we all are unique. I do give back but it is in a vehicle to help those who take the initative to work on getting a formal education after high school, taking a curriculum leading to an advanced degree.

I believe that if I were to give away my photography, would cheapen it. With my photography, I want to have folks who view photographs I made cause fond memories of the people I photographed to surface and last for many generations.

It is about choices where to give back. I chose to do it by helping young folks who are working hard at the University I graduated from.

Just my thoughts.

I don't want to start an argument and you're certainly entitled to your opinion and I respect that but... giving photography away cheapens it? I'm not so sure. If somebody pays $650.00 for a print did the composition improve once the cash was forked over? Do you mean expensive prints are appreciated more because they were expensive? Maybe in some cases, probably not in all. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're getting at.

 

[dave lackey]

Well, I think it is easy to get off track here. I gave a photograph to Emory University to help get a new hand therapy clinic started. It is displayed today and is shared with patients daily along with a story of hope. The story behind the photograph is important and inspiring for those needing care after suffering horrendously. My donation was not cheapening my work. It had nothing to do with me. It was a gift to an extraordinary therapist in appreciation of her 11 months of traditional and non-traditional care which resulted in almost unheard of recovery. My bride went to her the first day in a wheelchair and could not even fold a towel. Today she walks on her own, does all her personal tasks, and is itching to do my housework. All this three years after a major stroke.

The message is the gift. I cannot care less about my so-called work... It was the right thing to do and I made it happen with no financial resources. I received great satisfaction in the reception of the gift, it was quite emotional. Validation is a great thing!

So, my challenge is to see if others can effect positive change in someone's life by the simple gift of a photograph. I highly recommend it!:angel:

 

[sr1200]

I beat you to it, but I'll echo your challenge.

Though yours is specific to cancer patients, mine this year is not. Last year I photographed my mother, dying of cancer, but in that case I learned that some people don't want to see themselves in that condition.

On the subject of giving prints, however...

I've carried on a nice friendship for years with a lady who runs a coffee shop. She took photography in college and shares my appreciation for it. Recently, I took a photo of her at work, and when I received the film back, I knew I wanted to print it and give her a print.

She was blown away when I showed up to her coffee shop with the print. Nearly cried.

I was so happy to give her a photo that I knew she'd like. It was nice for both of us.

I also encourage this, and I'll be doing the same more in the future.

Here's the young lady:

Eun Young

 

[dave lackey]

I beat you to it, but I'll echo your challenge.

Though yours is specific to cancer patients, mine this year is not. Last year I photographed my mother, dying of cancer, but in that case I learned that some people don't want to see themselves in that condition.

On the subject of giving prints, however...

I've carried on a nice friendship for years with a lady who runs a coffee shop. She took photography in college and shares my appreciation for it. Recently, I took a photo of her at work, and when I received the film back, I knew I wanted to print it and give her a print.

She was blown away when I showed up to her coffee shop with the print. Nearly cried.

I was so happy to give her a photo that I knew she'd like. It was nice for both of us.

I also encourage this, and I'll be doing the same more in the future.

Here's the young lady:

Eun Young

Lovely photograph...:angel:

 

[sr1200]

Lovely photograph...:angel:

Thank you for the compliment. 🙂 (or was your compliment for her?) 😛

 

[Santtu Määttänen]

It's always great to see people who have time to give for worthy causes. For those who think it cheapens the work some how, one idea (also for rest of you). Never do anything for cheap, know your real price. But as a donation, do it for real. But include invoice with real price and 100% donation discount from you. Many organizations include that in their taxes as their income + expenses (of equal value). Also depending on your local tax laws, you might be able to subtract that donation in your taxes. Also the big part here is, people you donate work to actually know how much you give to them. It's not one kind people doing stuff for free anymore, it's valued resource kindly donated by you.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

When I photograph people as part of my documentary projects, I always offer them a print, or set of prints if I made more than one photograph. Same for people who allow me to photograph their property.

I have given away large numbers of prints to friends who liked my work but were as poor as I am.

 

[Ronald M]

I am doing a church directory and do free photos of members for resumes and Linkedin.

I have been given space for a formal studio.

 

[paulfish4570]

i carve spoons. takes massive time and effort as i use only knives and sandpaper. i have sold $85 worth, and given away far, far more. gave a set of five kitchen spoons for a charity auction. went for far, far more than what i might have sold them for. i much prefer to give them away ... 🙂

 

[paulfish4570]

gave several photos to dave for the emory thing. blessed many times over to have done so ...

 

[dave lackey]

gave several photos to dave for the emory thing. blessed many times over to have done so ...

And a wonderful gift it was!
To you as well...,🙂