hurricanes, not my favorite subject.  especially when i think about everything katrina took from us.  all the heart ache and tears she caused us.  precious time she took away from us enjoying taryn as a baby.  and photographs.  she stole so many photographs.

that is one of the driving forces behind what i do.  why i love photography.  why i dove in to learning, capturing.  my instant and immediate need after the storm to have printed memories again.  they can’t be replaced, but many of them are etched in my mind.  i so wish we would have taken many of them with us, instead of just some.  but i can’t change that now.

when a hurricane hits, so many of us, feel helpless as to what we can do, how we can help.  even having gone through it ourselves, i still feel that way.  on the inside i just keep thinking “what can I do?”

well duh, I should do what i “do”!  nothing like the obvious to knock you upside the head huh?

i can help with photography.  i can help families have new printed memories.  while i can’t replace their photos, i know that pain, and i can give them new ones, for a new start.

so, here is the deal….

if you know someone who has been affected by hurricane ike and they lost photographs, simply submit their names, your relationship to the person / family, and a little bit about them.  depending on the number of submissions received, i may not be able to help every family that comes my way but i am hoping to get other photographers involved in this project as well.  i normally do charity work several times per year anyway and this will be my project for 2009.

if you are a photographer and would like to participate in this project – please contact me at lstradtner@mac.com.  i will create a referral list as requests come in and hope to feature other participating photographers as sessions occur.  by agreeing to participate, you can give as much as you choose, one session or ten, totally your choice.  we’ll appreciate anything you are willing to give!  giving back feels good and i promise if you participate, you will walk away with something special from each family.

ok, so this is your call to action – contact me today at lstradtner@mac.com if you know someone in need or if you are a photographer who would like to participate!