Giving Back - A Guest Post by Kelly Christine Sutton

That hot, steamy Texas Summer day in June, I showed up to my shoot location same as I always would. A smidge early, but not annoyingly early that it’s inconvenient and enough to show I really care to be there. I had packed my gear bag up all the same as any other job, dug around for the forever missing lens caps, made sure I had 2 extra charged batteries (even though I never need them). I knew that I was photographing a multi-kid birthday party for some kiddos whose mothers were a part of a program, and that without this non-profit called The Birthday Party Project, these kids might not get to have much of a birthday.

Creative ruts tend to find me, especially in the Texas Summer when work is slow and it’s about 1000 degrees outside. I was excited to use my camera and my skill for something outside of a paid job or side project.

I noticed the party volunteers were scrambling a bit to get set up before the kids came out; hanging crepe paper quickly around the chain link fence, taping up luau-themed decor and a craft table of sand art. I realized photos weren’t as important at that moment so I set my gear down and jumped in on the decorating with the other volunteers. 

A few minutes later the kids couldn’t be held off any longer and one of the volunteer coordinators called for everyone to make a tunnel with their hands for the kids to run through. Of course I grabbed the cam. This seemed to be a tradition for the monthly birthday party event and it was as cute as you’d imagine. The kids ran through screaming and laughing and dispersed into every area of the space that contained something fun. 

This particular day there were two birthday girls, both extremely excited for their parties. One of them especially LOVED to have her photo taken. I spent a lot of time taking her picture and letting her take mine. Seeing her face light up getting to hold my massive, important-looking camera, I really didn’t care if she dropped it. After I finally got my camera back I floated around the space capturing as many kids and parents as I could. 

During the party, I chatted with a staff member and she explained a bit more about what they do and how they find these deserving birthday kids. TBPP works with homeless and transitional living facilities around the US and currently host parties in over 20 cities across the US. They’ve thrown over 8,500 birthday parties over the past 8 years. Most of these parties do not allow photography, however, this particular Dallas location does. Without photography at these events, it would be hard for them to spread the word about the great work they're doing, find new volunteers and fundraise for future parties.

This particular location was at InterFaith in East Dallas, a transitional home and resource center for families in need. Some have escaped abusive homes, partners, or were struggling financially and don't have the resources to support a family on their own. Interfaith supplies them with a furnished home, free childcare, transportation and teaches vital workplace and life skills to hold and become more financially independent.

After hearing this I knew I didn't want to just photograph for the non-profit's website or social media, but for these Moms. It's hard to imagine not having the ability to provide a stable, consistent, safe home for your child, let alone a simple cake, a gift or a happy photo of them smiling on their birthday. After all these kids have been through, maybe they'll look back on a photo of them with their mom and remember a happy, easy day. I firmly believe family photography shouldn't just for the people who can afford it.

I left that evening beaming. Was the lighting perfect? No. Were they the best photos I've ever taken? No. But that's not what it's about. If you've been considering fitting in time to volunteer with your camera more in 2020, try it! If you're not sure where to start, try researching non-profit organizations in your area and email them asking if they need photography. Chances are, they do!

KELLY CHRISTINE SUTTON, A MEMBER OF THE TFN FAMILY, IS BASED JUST OUTSIDE OF DALLAS TEXAS, AND CAN BE FOUND ONLINE AT KELLY CHRISTINE PHOTO OR ON INSTAGRAM AT @kellychristinephoto