Name Your Dream Assignment :: Perfectly Imperfect, a Black and White Photography Exhibit for Shriners Hospital

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Perfectly Imperfect, a Black and White Photography Exhibit for Shriners Hospital

Capturing intimate moments in the lives of families affected by a disability or severe tragedy via black and white photography. Goal is to increase awareness of Shriners and to show the strength and beauty of those affected by a disability.

Shriners Hospital: Perfectly Imperfect, a Black and White Photography Exhibit

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a one-of-a-kind health care system dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Every year, the 22 hospitals provide care for thousands of kids with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, in a family-centered environment at no charge. It's how Shriners Hospitals has been helping kids defy the odds since 1922.

I have a passionate interest in capturing intimate moments in the lives of families affected by a disability or severe tragedy. Black and white photography conveys strong emotions and tells a story so eloquently. Black and white photos are provoking, sometimes strange and always extremely beautiful

It is about finding a community that allows patients to thrive and grow. Through black and white portrait photography, I will give a face to the services that Shriners offers its patients.

I am extremely passionate about this project and children born with disabilities. My youngest son was born 3 years ago with a rare orthopedic condition called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (amc). It involves multiple fixed limbs and joint contractures at birth. For my son, this meant he was pretzled at birth. Thanks to Shriners hospital and four surgeries to date (he is estimated to need 18-25 in his lifetime), Owen is a happy mobile little boy. We are working to get him walking and Shriners Hospital has been a lifesaver for our family. I would like to pay back the good fortune and increase awareness for their services.

I believe when you are passionate about what you are doing, it is evident in your work. I want to share the stories I have heard and seen with others. Stories like:

The 17 year old boy who got into a fight and with one punch was paralyzed from the waist down. Yet he accepted what happened and isn’t negative or angry. He told me I made a choice and now I can’t go back. This is my life today.

The 18 year old boy who tried to stop someone from stabbing his father. Instead he got stabbed in the spine and is paralyzed from the neck down. Again he had a positive outlook and a great story of courage to share.

For the parents in the waiting area for their child to come out of their 10th or 11th surgery. To give others hope that they can survive the toughest challenges.
For patients that don’t think of Shriners as a hospital but a home away from home. Many patients will spend months at a time recovering from surgery, yet they are happy to be in a loving environment.

Project Objectives
1. To increase awareness of Shriners hospitals and its dedication to providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs
2. To generate donations for the hospital through sale of the prints and a photography book which shares additional stories.
3. To provide and encourage understanding and mutual support among anyone affected with a disability.

Target Audience
1. Families with special needs children
2. Medical Professionals including surgeons, physicians, nurses and therapists
3. Media and Television outlets
4. Photography aficionados

Deliverables
1. Over the next 12 months I will spend several days each month capturing Shriners patient via black and white portrait photography. The goal would be to have a final collection of 40-50 photographs that could be put on display within the hospital.

Proposed Subjects:
a. Doctors and residents making rounds
b. Families waiting for children to come out of surgery
c. Burn victims
d. Orthopedic patients
e. Cleft palate patients
f. Therapy sessions
g. Shriners patients recovering,
h. Shriners patients engaged in group activities
i. Shriners staff

Marketing (no cost to Shriners)
• Offer the final collection as a traveling exhibit to other Shriners hospitals and local museums.
• Create a blog detailing this project and highlighting some of the photos and stories.
• Create a Facebook page and account on Flickr to share the photos. Use these channels to increase donations to Shriners and raise awareness.
• Host a contest on Facebook or the photography blog asking: How do these photos inspire you? Ask people to share their stories about similar experiences (growing up with a disability)
• Create graphic buttons that members can add to their own blogs and websites, pointing back to the photography blog and eventually provide a direct link to order copies of the book.
• Post mentions in all arthrogryposis support groups (15), burn victim support groups, orthopedic support groups and spinal injury support groups.
• Send a letter to all Shriners patients (past and present) detailing our efforts and asking for support.
• Ask website visitors to sign up to receive updates via email with the understanding the information is shared with Shriners for marketing purposes.
• Publish a book (no cost to Shriners) via LuLu publishing with the black and white photos on one page and a brief quote or snippet of the story on the other page. The book would then be sold online to raise funds for Shriners. The book would also Include some testimonials on how Shriners has changed the lives of past and present patients.
• Pitch the photography exhibit to the media
o Submit a story to Exceptional Parent magazine and other family oriented magazines

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Perfectly Imperfect, a Black and White Photography Exhibit for Shriners Hospital

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