One of our favorite organizations to partner with here at PhotoShelter is the University Photographer’s Association of America. Photographers in general have such a unique eye and a knack for storytelling, and university photographers are no exception, uncovering interesting moments every day at colleges and universities across America.
A few years ago, at the annual UPAA Symposium, the organization invited local military families stationed at Fort Campbell – located nearby Austin Peay State University, host of the UPAA Symposium –to have their family portraits taken and printed.
We thought this Veterans Day would be a good time to revisit the story.
Veterans Portrait Project Founder Stacy Pearsall explains why these portraits are so important for the troops and their families:
“If you can imagine having a family and being close with them and tight-knit and then you have to leave for 8-12 months, what you carry with you are the memories and that love. But what’s being provided today is a visual connection so the portraits that are being created by the photographers from the UPAA will be carried with them down-range…anywhere in the world these military are going, they are going to be able to take their family with them.”
Community Impact
One of the most powerful things about this project is its overlap between bringing a ton of photographers together at the UPAA Symposium and using their specific talents to give back to military families.
Live events and conferences are often a time to focus on personal and professional development, but one of the most undervalued aspects of professional conferences is the strength of the community it brings together.
The chance to target and reach a niche community also attracts sponsors – the UPAA Symposium was sponsored by Nikon, Canon and others because of the unique make-up of its attendees. University photographers are always looking to learn about the latest and best gear and technology.
Real-Time Workflow and Printing
This inspiring confluence of events allowed for the real magic to happen. After their portraits were taken, the families got to review and select their favorites — and then print them on the spot.
Using the PhotoShelter FTP upload option, the photographer was able to focus on connecting with the families and creating the images, while the camera sent the images straight into a PhotoShelter gallery. This made photo transfer and upload effortless, so that when families were ready for their photos to be printed, it only took moments.
Using this setup also inspired members of the UPAA to take this Real-Time Workflow back to their universities to use for graduation, sports, and other events on campus.
You never know where inspiration may come from. But the power of photography is capturing that moment and gifting it to the viewer – whether in a gallery, at home, or overseas with a loved one deployed far from his or her family. On this Veterans Day, we want to thank all our service members and their families for their service.
Thank you.
The PhotoShelter family
