Bay Area San Francisco Photographer - Portrait and Wedding Photographer, Executive Head sh

Project Smile: March 9th was a life changing day!

This past Sunday I had the privilege of being apart of a life-changing event and solidifying my WHY and discovering a new one the one that keeps me grateful in the face of sometimes feeling overwhelmed with running my own business in an unsettling economy.

It began several weeks ago when a dear friend and colleague Rhee Bevere a wonderful wedding photographer from Cupertino shared with me a conversation she had just had with one of her friends.

It all began with a group of volunteers from Soroptimist International of Silicon Valley - the premier chapter who have partnered with Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence. Suzanne one very special lady who volunteers shared with Rhee how at Christmas she had taken a snap shot of one of the residents who upon receiving the photo burst into tears. She shared how she had had to escape in the middle of the night with only her children and the cloths on their backs, leaving all of the photos behind.

Suzanne approached Rhee to see what it would cost to photograph each of the families, but Rhee had a better idea. So the next day she put out the word to her fellow photographers, makeup artists and hair stylist to see who might be interested in making this an event the ladies would never forget. But what we did not plan on was that it was an event that none of us will ever forget!

We arrived early Sunday morning to the common room at a Safe House in San Jose that was filled with ladies getting their hair and makeup done by women who had volunteered to help. There were children playing on the floor, the older children caring for the younger whether they were related or not. Some kids where getting their hair cut while other waited impatiently and were sent out to play – the perfect opportunity for Rhee and I to begin. What touched me most was not only what I saw unfolding before my eyes but what I heard from the on lookers, case workers and fellow residents all where amazed at how beautiful each person left looking. I watched as the ladies did their magic and heard the excitement in the voices of onlooker’s each filled with the hope that they too could look that great when it was their turn. As we began the portrait session you could feel a new sense of community and see the care as each shared clothes, jewelry and encouragement. It was very moving to wait.

What really struck me was that by just capturing the images I had the privilege to create I was able to bless these women. They had so little and the joy I was able to bring by giving my time was incredible. I saw these women change right before my eyes one by one as they came alive, letting down their guard for a few minutes as they began to relax, breath, and enjoy being photographed. It was a miracle to behold like a flower opening to show its true beauty.

That afternoon we moved on to a second location and again we arrived to find the team of makeup and hairstyle artists already in full swing making over a new group of women. The children were all so well behaved, cooperative and curious. We spent another 4 hours at the second location and like before each session was magical. There are several moments that I keep replaying in my mind: the look on one mothers face as she brought her hands to her face and just beamed as I showed her an image of her two daughters and son. The woman how wore a wig to hide her identity; the images of she and her daughter are some of my most favorite images. The mother who burst into tears when I showed her a picture of herself smiling, she had been playing with her daughter and I caught her all she could say between her tears was “Thank you! I have never seen myself like that.”

Then there was the young single woman who told me she had given up on herself. She had not seen her daughter in 5 years and was very sad and depressed. What she didn’t see was what I saw in my lens: an absolutely beautiful woman, the saddest thing was that she has no idea. And as we all know the joy of that instant when you are able to capture that one moment when your subject finally relaxes and lets you see their true beauty. I stopped and turned my camera around to show her the image I had captured, what I saw her face made my heart ache. A smile slowly crept across her face, lit up as she beamed from ear to ear and it stayed there the rest of the afternoon.

I wish I could share with each of you these images but that can never happen, the only ones who will ever see these portraits are the individuals whose families are in transition and hopefully someday soon they will be able to begin a new life and hang these portraits in their new homes and share them for generations to come.

There were so many other moments, all profound, all unforgettable; all of these are the reasons why I live to do this again, and again and again.

Special thanks to all who helped organize and run this very special event.