What an experience! Ha! I didn’t realize that it was going to be Earth Day weekend in Alameda park when I planned the Shooting for Haiti project, but I assure you, it certainly was. My assistants and I arrived early on Saturday morning, excited and inspired about the next two days of shooting. Throughout the next two days we ran around Alice Keck park making photographs of engaged couples, people with their dogs, families, babies, and even a few professional head shots! We fielded the Earth-Day-goers who had gone astray from Alameda park for a bit of peaceful respite from the crowds, climbed trees and crept about in the lush foliage of Alice Keck Park to “get the shot”.

We wound up doing just shy of 20 shoots in the two days of shooting and raised close to $1200 to aid in Direct Relief International’s Haiti Relief efforts! Despite my greatest efforts, I wasn’t able to fill every slot and we had a handful of no-shows which, at first disappointed me, but it only meant we got to spend a good deal more time than 15 minutes with some of people because of gaps in the schedule…allowing us to get more and better shots as the rapport and trust increased with more time together. I typically like to spend several hours on a single shoot, so the brevity of these shoots was a real challenge. We learned a TON about what to do better next time and how to raise EVEN MORE money! We had a blast and walked away from the experience feeling fulfilled, inspired, and, um….exhausted.

Many many thanks to everyone who participated; those who came out and their pictures taken, laughed, played, and made this project a success; to my fantastic, magnanimous assistants, Michael Randles and Tony Mac! A big dollop of gratitude to Jill Rode from DRI for her help in facilitating the project, to Genevieve Bitters who also came out from DRI as well and had her pictures taken with she and her beautiful family! Also to Kerri Murray for heading up the very inspiring Disabilities Program in Haiti. I just had the pleasure of meeting Kerri last night at SBMA’s “Nights” Event, and learned of the program. Truly inspiring work by an amazing group. It is an honor and a privilege to have my business working in alignment with Direct Relief International, and I’m looking forward to the next project!