Some of the families who most need these photographs are the least likely to ever get them.
A session costs about what a week of groceries costs. For plenty of families around here, that math never works out. So the years go by undocumented. Not because the moments were smaller. Because the budget was.
I don't believe family memories should be a luxury. If I can remove one barrier between a family and photographs they'll treasure for the rest of their lives, then it's one of the most meaningful things I can do with a camera.
So there is always an open chair.
Some sessions I give away. No cost, no catch, no lesser version of the experience. Same session, same gallery, same full resolution downloads as a family who pays full price. The only difference is the invoice.
Who the chair is for
I am not going to ask anyone to prove they need it. If you are reading this and it sounds like your family, that is enough.
- A single parent who is stretched thin
- A family in transition, in a shelter, between homes, starting over
- A kid whose adoption is about to be finalized
- A parent who is sick, or a grandparent whose time is short
- A mom who scrolled back through two years of her camera roll and realized she is in almost none of it
How to take the chair
If it is for you
Send me a message and tell me a little about your family. That is the entire application.
If it is for someone else
Even better. Nominate them. Tell me who they are and why now. Some of the best photographs I could ever make are for people who would never ask on their own behalf.
If you work with families
At a school, a shelter, a church, an agency: please reach out. I would rather you send families my way than have anyone sit at home wondering whether they qualify.
What I ask for in return
Nothing.
For most sessions I ask permission to use a few images in my portfolio. Not these. If you want to share yours, wonderful. If you would rather these photographs stay entirely inside your family, that is completely fine, and it changes nothing about the session.
What I can promise
I am one person with a camera and a full time job. I cannot say yes to everyone, and sometimes the next opening is a while out. But the chair does not go away, and the list keeps moving.
If your family should be in that chair, tell me.
No forms to fill out and no boxes to check. Just a message.
Or reach me directly at Jesse@snyderstoryco.com