Visalia photographer doing free sessions for graduating high school seniors needs more help
VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A photographer in Visalia is putting out a call to other local photographers to help bring happiness to high school seniors. The plan is to give graduating high school seniors who cannot afford portraits of their big day a free photoshoot as part of a massive three-day event.
Photographer Danelle Ruby says she regularly offers free sessions when she can to give back the way she says people have given to her. This time, she wants more photographers to join her cause. She wants to find five photographers who can provide six 20-minute sessions each, covering 30 sessions per day.
“I’m just someone who has needed a lot – and received a lot of help and support in my own life,” said Ruby. “So I like to give that back however I can.”
Ruby says that the timeliness of graduation, and the apparent need for free or discounted portraits, motivated her to post on social media and offer her services.
“I had so much interest so quickly, my sessions filled within a few hours even,” Ruby said, “so I started thinking – I kind of put the idea out in the comments: Wouldn’t it be great if a bunch of local photographers can organize?”
Ruby says that’s when Isabel Montenegro stepped up to help coordinate communications between photographers on her own social media post.
“We got so much interest and support that it’s just taken off,” Ruby said.
The two of them managed to book 90 sessions. Working with staff at multiple Visalia high schools, they passed around sign-up sheets to school liaisons who helped identify students who needed the portraits most.
Ruby says it warms her heart to give to students in need. She is also inspired by the collaborative efforts of Visalia photographers, given how competitive the industry can be.
“The competition is fierce,” Ruby said, “I think joining forces would help us all – I have the idea that after the event is over we could transition this group into a local photographer support group.”
Ruby says she is proud of all the photographer volunteers and glad she could help students memorialize their last year of high school and photographers establish their names in a competitive industry.
Volunteers are still needed; for those interested in volunteering their photography services, the days of the photoshoots would be May 11, May 18, and May 19. The best way to sign up is by joining the Facebook group with all the photographers here.
Ruby says her ultimate goal is to inspire photographers in neighboring cities to follow in her hometown’s footsteps and give back through their art.
