Relief Portraits

New York photographer, Strobist guest-poster and Alabama native Miller Mobley spent the weekend in Tuscaloosa, doing what he could to help the people in that tornado-ravaged community. And by "what he could," I don't mean helping people clean up or rebuild their homes.

Those things need to be done, of course. But as a photographer, Mobley decided to bring his particular skills to his home state to do what he's good at. He joined several other photographers in creating new family portraits for people who lost photos of themselves and their families when the vicious winds uprooted their homes and their lives.


NPR has the story here. The Relief Portraits Facebook page is here. Mobley's blog item about the effort is here. Take his example to heart and think about what you're good at, and find someone who needs you.

You don't need to wait for disaster to strike, either. I help a friend shoot family portraits every year around Mother's Day at the family shelter in San Diego. Like what Mobley and the other photographers in Tuscaloosa this weekend did, it's a small way to give back to someone who's lost so much.