Woodbury, NY—The PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) is calling for volunteer studio photographers throughout the country to participate in its annual Portraits of Love Project, which offers families of deployed military personnel free portraits for the holiday season.
Photographers who volunteer their time will be asked to photograph families stateside and then upload the images to Fujifilm’s SeeHere.com, from which prints will be shipped free of charge to both the family and deployed military personnel. Interested photographers can sign up through the Portraits of Love Project website at http://www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com/.
Launched through a joint effort between the photography industry organization PMDA and Soldiers’ Angels, a grassroots volunteer organization serving military families, the Portraits of Love Project provides professional photographers, photo enthusiasts and portrait studios with an opportunity to use their talents and resources to show their appreciation for those serving abroad. The PMDA’s nationwide network of volunteer photographers is asked to open their studios to military families from now through November 30, 2010. All images will be printed and shipped to overseas personnel in time for the holidays.
“Last year we had more than 400 photographers host portrait sessions for military families on bases and in studios throughout the country,” said Joellyn Gray, president of the PMDA, and director of Marketing at Fujifilm North America Corp. “This year we hope to expand the effort and help deliver a small taste of home to those deployed overseas during the holiday season.”
This coast-to-coast volunteer effort represents the second phase of the 2010 Portraits of Love Project. The initiative kicked off in early September with event sponsor JCPenney Portraits opening all of its studios to military families for free portrait sessions. In its continuing effort to bring military families and photographers together, the PMDA will also be organizing on-base portrait sessions on various military installations. For a complete listing of participating local photo studios and more information on the participating bases, families and photographers are encouraged to visit the Portraits of Love Project website.
As a 70-year-old, highly respected photo industry organization, the PMDA brings together some of the most recognized brands in the photography community with the common interest of sharing the impact photography has on society. In addition to JCPenney Portraits, sponsors of the 2010 Portraits of Love Project include: Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, SanDisk, Roxio, Bonnier Technology Group, Digital Photo Academy, Photo Industry Reporter, and SeeHere.com.
For more information on the Portraits of Love Project, or to find a listing of local participating photography studios, please visit http://www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com/, or check out the Project’s Facebook page at: <http://www.facebook.com/portraits.of.love.
About PMDA: Founded in 1939, PMDA provides a series of forums throughout the business year for its membership to exchange ideas and learn about new technologies and business trends, in addition to administering programs that promote photography to the general public. Monthly programs and symposiums feature leading photo-imaging product suppliers and retailers, as well as financial analysts and technical experts. The PMDA teamed with the Soldiers’ Angels volunteer organization to create the Portraits of Love Project, with a goal to provide 10,000 U.S. soldiers around the world with free portraits of their families and loved ones during each holiday season. The organization has also teamed with PMA to produce www.TakeGreatPictures.com, a website created to help American consumers find meaningful ways to incorporate photography into aspects of their everyday lives, while helping them to make intelligent decisions about buying new cameras and accessories.
