September 14, 2011 – PRESS SUMMARY – The PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA), a respected photo industry organization that brings together some of the most renowned brand names in the photographic community, today announced that its third annual Portraits of Love Project will launch in October 2011 and aim to provide 10,000 deployed military troops with free family portraits in time for the holidays. Starting October 1, 2011 and running through December 31, 2011, military families can sign up for a free portrait session that will be hosted by the program’s growing support network. Military families can receive a free personal family portrait and one that is sent to their loved one on active duty overseas by participating at select USO facilities, military bases hosting on-base sessions and a the Project’s nationwide network of local photography studios.
For both military families and their loved ones deployed overseas, the holiday season can be an especially difficult time. Through the Portraits of Love Project, soldiers can receive a small token of home at a time when it may be needed most. Launched through a joint effort between the PMDA and the military support organization USO, the Portraits of Love Project seeks to provide professional photographers with an opportunity to use their talents to show their appreciation for all those serving abroad. To find a local independent studio or for information on participating USO offices and on-base sessions, military families can visit the Portraits of Love Project website at: http://www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com/.
“Our servicemen and women have sacrificed in innumerable ways to defend our nation and the Portraits of Love Project is a small, but meaningful, way for the photography community to give a little something back,” said Joellyn Gray, President of the PMDA “Now in its third year, the Portraits of Love Project has grown from a small grassroots collection of independent photographers to include more than hundreds of professional photographers and incredible support groups like the USO, all of whom simply want to bring our deployed military members closer to their families during the holidays.”
To take advantage of the free portrait offer, families of deployed or soon-to-be-deployed personnel should schedule a free family portrait session with one of the participating independent photographers, or plan to attend one the of the USO-hosted or on-base sessions in their community.
Participating Through Independent Photographers
For families looking to participate through the Portraits of Love Project’s local network of independent photography studios, a complete database of these volunteers will be available online starting September 1 at http://www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com/families.php. Families can simply locate their preferred studio and contact it directly to schedule an appointment through the above website. Following the scheduled session, military families will access the portrait at www.seehere.com to claim their personal photo and to send a copy to a deployed loved one in time for the holidays.
Participating Through the USO
For families taking advantage of the sessions scheduled at the local USO facilities or on military bases listed below, the process will be very similar. A complete schedule of sessions is available at www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com.
USO Locations:
- Gulf Coast, Gulfport Biloxi International Airport – Gulfport, MS (December 3-4, 2011)
- Las Vegas, McCarran International Airport – Las Vegas, NV
- Rocky Mountain USO – Fort Carson – Colorado Springs, CO (October 22, 2011)
- USO Fort Hood – Ft. Hood, TX (November 29-30, 2011)
- USO of Northwest Florida – Eglin AFB, FL
- USO of Northwest Florida – Hurlburt Field, FL
- USO of Northwest Florida – Pensacola, FL (November 5, 2011)
Registration for Independent Photographers
Interested photographers can register to participate in the program online at http://www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com/photographers.php between September 1 and October 1, 2011. Volunteer photographers will receive program promotional materials from the PMDA along with directions on how to upload portraits to the Project’s fulfillment system. Additionally, volunteer photographers will be asked to provide details about their studio space, such as location, size and set-up to allow organizers to plan for anticipated volumes in each market.
Sponsors of the 2011 Portraits of Love Project include: Canon, FUJIFILM, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Bonnier Technology Group, Digital Photo Academy, Photo Industry Reporter, SeeHere.com, Samsung, Panasonic, Hewlett Packard, Tamron and The Tiffen Company.
For more information on the Portraits of Love Project, please visit: http://www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com, or check out the Project’s Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/portraits.of.love
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Founder of Current Photographer, co-host of The Digital Photography Cafe Show, Designer, Photographer, and overall tech geek.