For many nonprofit organizations, professional photography is simply not in the budget. This is where your skills with a camera can become a beacon of hope. In this article, we’ll discuss how offering your photographic talents for nonprofits is not just an act of volunteerism, but a profound way to contribute to causes that matter. From storytelling and raising awareness to personal growth and practice, we explore the multifaceted benefits of nonprofit photography.
Where to find Nonprofit Photography Opportunities
Non profits are always looking for a good photographer willing to donate their time for their events. You can google non profit organizations and charities in your area and reach out to them. Depending on the organization, some hold more events than others, you can really benefit from the practice and experience with shooting large groups of people, in all different settings. I have personally donated my time to several groups like this and have built relationships with a couple of the bigger ones that have been awesome to work with. One of my favorites that I have teamed up with recently is the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which has groups across the US. They are a great group to work with and are a great resource for networking. They allow me to use any images I like for my own advertising and also take care of all the release forms that legally cover the sharing of the photos online.
The Benefits of Nonprofit Photography
Teaming up with a non profit or charity has a lot of benefits, and can be an excellent opportunity for any photographer looking for the experience, practice and adding to their portfolio, especially when getting a business up and going. Oh yeah, and lets not forget…you’ll also feel really good about helping them out, especially after you see how appreciative they are when they see the awesome shots you have to give them. Here are three ways you can benefit from working with non profits:
Making a Difference
The first and most compelling reason to donate time for nonprofit photography lies in the profound impact it can have. Professional photography often appears unattainable to many, shrouded in an aura of exclusivity. By offering your skills in this field, you are not just taking pictures; you are gifting a valuable service that can transform how a nonprofit presents itself to the world. This contribution goes beyond mere documentation – it’s about capturing the essence and spirit of the organization, telling their story in a way that resonates and inspires. Your talents in photography allow these nonprofits to access a level of professionalism that might otherwise be inaccessible, providing them with treasured visual assets that they can cherish and utilize indefinitely. In doing so, you are using your unique abilities to make a lasting difference, elevating their cause and enabling them to reach a wider audience with their message.
Building Experience with Nonprofit Photography
Any professional photographer will tell you, the more you shoot, the better you get. You’ve heard it time and time again, and that couldn’t be truer when starting up a photography business. Working with clients and learning how to interact with them takes time. Posing, working with large groups of people, or simply just the social aspect of learning how speak to people while having a camera to your face all take practice. The problem is that practicing these things can be difficult as you sit at home staring at all your nice pretty camera equipment, but no one to practice on.
Nonprofit photography is the perfect opportunity to practice directing large groups and trying new poses and ideas. The more you experience you can get photographing groups of people the better, especially for wedding photographers.
Practicing with Nonprofit Photography
As retired 76er Allen Iverson once said…”Are we really takin ‘bout practice?” YES! Practice is huge when photographing people, especially at events. Not only practice with your gear, but also with your communication skills and posing. Working with non profits can be a great opportunity to practice using different gear, different lighting techniques, and other things that you can’t necessarily play around with at a wedding that your being paid to photograph.
Nonprofit photography is also a great opportunity to practice working alongside with a partner if your not the only photographer in your business. Working along side of another photographer can take a little practice, which is also something you need to get good at.
Networking with Your Nonprofit Photography
Working with non profits is an awesome way to network and meet new people. Not only do you get the chance to hand out business cards, host the photos on your website for everyone in the group to see, advertise through the group, but most importantly, meet a wide range of people and make new friends. The more people that get to see your work and like the photos you took of them, the more likely they are to use you for other events or refer you out to their family and friends.
Conclusion
When trying to get a business up and going, or in the early stages of a photography business, the biggest hurdle is advertising yourself when you don’t have much to advertise. Consider donating your for nonprofit photography for win-win combination.
