Music by Renee & Jeremy
A big thanks to Emily Anne Callaway for video production.
Watch the video, enjoy us sharing with our children in a project to “Pay It Forward” this holiday season.
We are six local ladies that are teaming up to use our talents to “Pay It Forward”. Inspired by a fabulous Arkansas photographer, Amber Lanning , we all teamed up to share our talents and give to others. We are all signing up to do a photoshoot for a family that may have had a rough go this year, a child that may be struggling from an illness, or a community hero that needs some recognition. We hope to capture beautiful memories for these families that may brighten their holiday season, as well as brightening ours by giving back.
We are not only pooling our talents, we are challenging the whole photography community to do it as well. This is the season to give. We are taking our challenge worldwide. What better gift to give than the timeless treasure of a family photo. We all have different talents that the Lord has blessed us with, this is the time to use them. Not every family has the luxury of booking a session for holiday photos and spending time choosing the perfect Christmas card photo. A family photo is a cherished gift. It’s an heirloom item. A gift that can be passed from generation to generation. We are all thankful that this is something we can offer to others. First Peter (vs 4:10) says “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faith stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” {NIV} We believe that it is in serving others that we truly serve God. What better way than to serve with the talent He bestowed upon us. October, November, and December are a photographers “busy season”. We are all running crazy these months. We wanted this project in the midst of this crazy season to help us re-focus on “the good stuff”. A project like this always brings you back to center. We find it actually creatively improves all your other work too. We are also thankful for one another and the fact that we can all come together for a greater good to Pay It Forward. This group of ladies wanted our community to see too that we support one another and work together. If every photographer we reach could “Pay It Forward” to one family, what a blessing as a photography community we could bestow upon so many individuals worldwide this season. Our group will begin taking submissions via email beginning November 12, 2012. Submissions must be emailed to payitforwardwithphotos@gmail.com. The submission deadline is Monday December 10, 2012 at noon.
We are all so very excited about this project. If you are a photographer and are up for our challenge, please hop over to the photographers page for details about how to participate. Please keep checking back. We plan on posting our winners and their photo shoots. We hope to tell you a little of their story.
What This Project Means To Us:
This project has a lot of layers for us 6 girls. It began as a project to serve others with our talents. Then with the filming of our little promo video, it gave us the opportunity to involve our children who are all at a young age. We wanted to be able teach them that the giving of your time and talents is something worth while. We have been able to include them on this little adventure which is awesome in and of itself. It gave us the opportunity to come together as a group of like minded creative souls. It’s no secret, Columbus is to photographers as Nashville is to singers. There are quite a few of us in this area. We wanted to show the community that we work together, not against one another. We started with a small group this year and are so excited that we’ve already had inquiries from other area photographers to join us next year. And lastly, it’s given us a chance to touch a family, child, or community hero in a truly personal way. It’s been said a photo is a window to a soul. To be able to sit and hold your grandparents photo album is a gift. To see your relatives from years past or your parents wedding is a truly special thing. Photos are gifts that never go out of style. They are cherished. For the six of us to be able to bestow a gift like that is a true blessing for us. This project means so much to us. Please submit someone that you are aware of that needs some extra love this season. If you are a photographer, we challenge you deeply to search within this busy seasons schedule and find a family, child, or hero to give your talent to.
Thank you for taking the time to visit and find out what we are about. Now get out there and promote! Please share our site! Submit a family, child, or hero! And if you are a photographer, hop on over to our “for photographers” page and find out how to participate and get out there and SHOOT!
The Participants of the Pay It Forward Mississippi Group:
Katie McDill: Katie McDill Photography
Renee Reedy: Renee Reedy Photography
Katie McCrary: Katie McCrary Photography
Masa Kathryn Hensley: Masa Kathryn Photography
Emily Anne Callaway: Callaway & McCrary (video fusion)
Elizabeth Behm: Elizabeth Behm Photography
{Shout Outs}
A huge shout out to Pro Photo Blogs for the gift of this great blog. Thanks guys for “Paying It Forward” and helping us do it too!
The Fine Print:
Rules and Small Print:
Please submit with details and information on the story of:
A family that has struggled this year, a child struggling with illness, or someone you feel is a community hero needing some recognition.
Please only submit families, children, and heroes within in the Columbus area.
6 submissions will be chosen, 1 per photographer.
Each chosen submission will be contacted and receive a photoshoot, 10 digital high res files on a disk, a 16×20 print, 2 – 8×10′s, and 3- 5×7′s.
Elizabeth Behm will complete her chosen submissions shoot after January 1 to accommodate the arrival of her new bundle of joy. The other ladies will work very hard to complete the shoots of their chosen submissions before Christmas. Each chosen submission will agree to have photos publicly displayed via the web by signing a waiver. They will also agree to have their story told on our blog per waiver.
UPDATE:
We all want to write a heartfelt thank you to The Savvy Photographer. She took time today to dedicate a whole post on her blog to help us spread the word. If you don’t currently read Marsha, you should. She is one of a kind. She is one sharp cookie and she lays it all on the line and never holds back. She says what we are all feeling , but scared to share. She promotes like no other and her business is 2nd to none. FROM ALL OF US TO YOU MARSHA….YOU ARE ONE SPECIAL LADY THAT CAN PAY IT FORWARD LIKE NO OTHER! THANK YOU!
The Post:
http://thesavvyphotographer.blogspot.com/2012/11/pay-it-forward.html
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You ladies are amazing. I am inspired by you to do something for my community. Although my business is different from yours – I love to give back and will find a way to build something so wonderful in our area as well!
I was doing research night feeling so discouraged about how little information there was for paying it forward with my business. I happened to pull up my business FB page and across my newsfeed I read , “Don’t miss the feature about the Pay it Forward Movement”. I sat and cried because God could not have spoken to me at a better time. Thank you ladies for what you’re doing. I honestly believe we have the power to make a difference in our communities and the world. I plan on weaving the idea of giving into the very fabric of my little business.
I’m totally participating in this. Such a simple way to give somebody a great memory, and it’s so easy for us photographers to do. I linked back to you in my post. I’m hoping that I get some people who are interested!
http://gphotoco.blogspot.com/2012/11/paying-it-forward.html