Eyes that see the good in things- April 30, 2018

This week, while listening to Ashley Schuster speak about her love of photography, I was struck by how her face lit up as she talked about the places she had photographed.

I also happened to read an article in Feature Shoot by Jenna Garrett called "The Inspiring Stories of Five Photographers Determined to Make a Difference," about inspiring photographers who have found a way to give back to their community through their art.

Nick Brandt: Big Life Foundation. One of these photographers is English photographer, Nick Brandt. An elephant he had once photographed ended up being killed by poachers and it moved him to begin a nonprofit organization. The organization called Big Life Foundation is dedicated to saving the wildlife of Africa.They now employ over 300 local people to track down poachers who kill elephants, lions and other animals who are disappearing from the African landscape.

Because the demand for ivory continues to rise, Garrett says as many as 35,000 African elephants are killed each year. The organization goes beyond the prevention of animal cruelty but seeks to change the environment and communities where these animals can coexist.

Jeremy Cowart: Help-Portrait. Jeremy Cowart was a celebrity photographer when he volunteered at a local homeless shelter in 2009. That experience inspired him to give the gift of photography to people who couldn’t afford it.

After an online call inviting other fellow photographers to join him, he has arranged to have over 20,000 photographers donate their time and talent to take almost 300,000 portraits in 60 different countries.

The Help-Portrait photographers set up at local homeless shelters, soup kitchens and inner-city schools where the photographers capture the subject and then pay to have them printed for the subject. They agree to never use these photos for commercial gain or even to use them in their portfolios.

Make-up artists, hair stylists, local frame shops and printers are even brought in to make the Help-Portrait events a very special day. For some people, it’s the first family picture they have ever had taken, and for others it’s a chance for a truly special portrait.

Kevin J. Miyazaki: collect.give. Photographer Kevin J. Miyazaki created the online gallery collect.give, which is a gathering of photographers selling affordable fine art prints for artist-selected causes. His desire to combine charity and art collecting has raised more than $47,000 for nonprofits around the globe.  

The limited edition prints are sold directly from the photographer, who donates all of their proceeds to a charity the artist is passionate about. Some of the photographers include Jane Fulton Alt, Clarissa Bonet, Caleb Cole, Amy Eckert, Geoffrey Hiller, Susan Worsham, and the site recently raffled off a Vivian Maier print.

Alicia Hansen: NYC SALT. Photographer Alicia Hansen felt called to start a small after-school program to teach photography skills to trouble youth. Since that time, it has become an established photography program that helps its graduates to become accepted into higher learning opportunities. The areas they serve are mostly in areas that have high dropout rates.

The program is taught by industry professionals who cover both the technical and creative aspect to photography. The students are provided with professional grade equipment and volunteer expert instructors from places like Getty Images, Sports Illustrated and The New York Times.

David Zimmerman: Himalayan Arts Center. David Zimmerman is an American photographer who has developed a love for the people and traditions of India. He recently opened the Himalayan Arts Center, to provide arts education and inspiration in a remote, often neglected part of the country.

Going beyond photography and filmmaking, the Arts Center is currently implementing classes in painting, dance, music and creative writing, and it has become a meeting place for artists both local and from around the globe with its philosophy of free education offering workshops and lectures for everyone.

Another photographer I read about in the Huffington Post, is making a difference for animals looking for their forever home. Photographer Seth Casteel talks about a terrified dog who turns up at a rescue shelter. He’s dirty, disoriented and unsure about what is happening to him. A stranger stands over him, snaps a photo and posts it on a website, hoping someone will call to adopt him. That’s the photo that forever represents the dog and the photo that Casteel has set out to change.

His initiative is called One Picture Saves a Life and its purpose is to provide shelters with resources to properly groom and photograph pets they’re hoping to adopt out. Casteel says when people see hopeful pet portraits of “adoptable pets full of love and personality, they zip over to the shelter with their family and save a life.”

One Picture Saves a Life has been on tour teaching shelters how to properly take photos of pets. Casteel also provides video tutorials on taking pictures of pets on his website at http://www.onepicturesaves.com.

“With a little instruction, everyone will be able to take a photo of an adoptable pet that will lead them to their forever homes,” Steel commented. “We’ve had cases where a pet has been up for adoption for months and then adopted within 12 hours of the new photo being posted.”

We would love to share local stories about the good things your eyes are seeing.

Stop in to share your stories with us, give us a call at 947-2417 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Or send a letter to Eyes That See the Good in Things, c/o Allison Lindgren, The Transcript, 6 8th St N., New Rockford, ND 58356.