"Wow! That's not me. That woman is beautiful!" stated
a jovial and self proclaimed "overweight" lady from Atlanta, Georgia, as she reviewed the first image from
her photo shoot set at the 2006 Monica Brant F.E.M. Camp in Austin, Texas. "That can't be me. You know, I haven't been told I'm beautiful in over 20 years. Not even my husband has told me. When I look at that person on your camera, she's beautiful."
The realization that my camera held the delicate power of
building someone's self confidence and self image has had a lasting impression
on me. Until five years ago, my primary focus was fit swimsuit models. It was
this demographic that was keen on getting the best shots possible to promote
themselves in an industry that rewards the beautiful. The fact is, everyone is
beautiful whether they receive the recognition or not. Sometimes life has a way
of abusing us to the point that we no longer see our true worth. It can knock
us down, knock us around, and hold us down. Until we grasp the realization that
our self worth is something we control, we often won't see the beautiful soul
staring back at us when we look in the mirror every morning.
Since that interaction in Austin almost 6 years ago, similar
stories have become more prevalent. I would venture that at some point in life,
80-95% of us have dealt with a fair bit of negative behavior aimed toward us. The
fact that we are still alive and pushing forward means that we have somehow
conquered those moments. We are champions of our self worth.
It's the power of the camera that lead me to search out a
way of giving back to the community. A way to build souls back up again. A way
to excite a person to get up each day and feel good enough about themselves
that they can start giving back to others around them. It's contagious, and
positive energy feeds even more positive energy. I wanted to organize a great
group of individuals that I know have the positive power and energy to leave
another person feeling great about themselves. I come in contact with hundreds
of individuals every year and I have witnessed firsthand the positive power many
of these special people possess.
The goal of iGivePhoto is to give back to the community, in
particularly, women who have been through a lot in life and can use something
positive to give them and their kids a little boost, especially at this time of
year. I have put together a team of respected photographers, make-up artists,
and inspirational coaches so we can all have a fun experience while capturing
great personal and family photos.
As my idea came together I shared it with a few close people
including Global Calgary's news anchor Cara Fullerton, fitness super model
Annette Milbers Fleck and Diane Geddes. Each loved the idea and offered to volunteer and help
out in any way possible. Thanks Cara, Annette and Diane. As I put this team together,
the next person I reached out to was Calgary photographer Tim Dardis. I have
come to know Tim through various bodybuilding/fitness contests we have attended
together. Tim is someone that I respect, and has a good heart and leaves others
feeling better for having come in contact with him. I also contacted Edmonton's
Trevor Howell but unfortunately Trevor had prior family commitments. Tim has
been instrumental in setting up various parts of this special event we are planning
for December 18 in Calgary so I owe a great deal to him for all the work he's
been doing, and it's been a lot. Thanks Tim.
We still have a lot to plan over the next three weeks. The
response so far has been overwhelming. A lot of you are asking what you can do
to help. I will know more details over the next week and will update this Blog
as soon as more information is available. In the meantime, the organization we
are going to be working with is in need of kitchenware for the families they
are caring for. If you would like to contribute to this very worthy cause,
please me sure to message me at info@igivephoto.com
Thank you for your interest in this very worthy cause. If
past situations I have experienced are any indication, this day is going to be
eye opening and life changing.
This video may be graphic for some viewers. We realize domestic abuse and violence can go both ways but for the sake of this project, we are focused on the female victims and their families.
To learn more about the Brenda Strafford Center in Calgary, please visit their website: http://www.brendastraffordsociety.org/
To donate, please visit this link: http://www.brendastraffordsociety.org/donate.php
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