motivation

I haven't taken many pictures lately. In fact, I had not taken one in the month of December. Today I made up for it. I attended a holiday gathering hosted by the University of Dayton Atlanta Alumni at the Atlanta Childrens' Shelter. I was not really familiar with the shelter but a friend asked me if I would come take some pictures of this event. Of course I would.

The shelter provides free day care for homeless families so the parents can try to productively find work or go to work. This event brought the families together to socialize and eat together as a way to celebrate the holiday season. It was thrilling to be able to shoot 300 plus photos of these kids and their families. It made me realize that I really enjoy using my photography in a productive way and if it gives back to others then it is even more fulfilling. I left there thinking that I would like to do more of these events and I am happy to donate my time and effort to great causes like the Atlanta Children's Shelter.

I will probably include several shots from this event over the next few days. I wanted to start with this to show a few things. First, face painting was one of the bigger hits of the day. Kids were lined up trying to get their face painted. I like this shot for the stillness in the boys face and the tender framing of the volunteer's hands. I also like it because I had the ability to use some large windows as my light source in many of my shots including this one. The flash shots are not as pleasing to me in general and I try and avoid it if possible.

I was so glad this event gave me the motivation to get back out and shoot in a productive way.