I first found out about a local play group last February when my son was about 14 months old. I was so amazed that such a wonderful service existed for parents and caregivers of young children. And it was FREE! Even the snacks! The community centre where it takes place is also home to a local food bank. So for Halloween this year, I thought why not offer to take photos of all the kids and the only payment for a 4×6 print was a donation to the food bank. The centre was thrilled with the idea and I knew that for some, this may be the first time they would have a professional portrait of their child. It’s win-win all around. Sure it cost me my time and a few bucks for prints but the feeling you get from giving back is truly amazing and it seems so small in return for the many hours my son has enjoyed there. After the photo shoot and play group time, all the parents got a tour of the food bank to drop off our substantial collection and saw first hand what the volunteers there do and how it serves the community. More than 1000 people used it in the month of September and half of those were children. This is not in a developing country, but right here in Ottawa. It definitely opened my eyes and I hope to continue to give back in any way I can.
Your humble Ottawa portrait photographer,
Vanessa Dewson
P.S. My son is the one in the monkey suit – he only lasted about 30 seconds before the tears came and this was the best shot I could get… Who said photographing children was easy?
