So, most of you probably already know that I have been working for about a year on the planning stages for Flashes of Hope at DC National Children’s Medical Center. We are finally looking at getting started. Sponsors are in place, the hospital meeting took place last week, and we are finalizing the details to do our first in-hospital shoot within the next month or so. In the meantime, the email inquiries from the website have started coming in. This family needed photos done soon, and so rather than waiting for the first FoH hospital date, Frankie and I went to their home and did a session in the living room. It was a reminder that behind all the prep, and the fundraising, and planning, and meetings, it’s really just about the children and their families. This is what we can do as photographers to give back. If you are a photographer considering this kind of work – please do it. Is it hard? Yes. Is it too hard? No… it’s not nearly as hard as what these families are going through, and its such a real and relevant way to use our work to give back. And there is a lot of joy and happiness in it, too! We still get smiles and laughs and talk about favorite sports and bands and actors and singers. If you know of a family who would benefit from the gift of pro bono photography, please email me. It’s a gift to be able to do this.