Low-income clients are all smiles for free photo portraits
Heading to the White Buffalo Youth Lodge on the first Saturday of December has become a tradition for Della Kinequon and Albert Papp’s family.
This Saturday will mark the 7th year they have attended Help-Portrait Saskatoon — a yearly event run by the non-profit organization Photo Group YXE that provides free portraits for low income people throughout the city.
“I look forward to it every year,” Kinequon says. “For a low income family, getting portraits taken is an expense that I wouldn’t really be able to afford, but now I have six wonderful family portraits at home up on our wall.”
About 80 volunteers are involved in this year’s photo sessions, helping guide the clients through the process, which takes about an hour.
Bruce Johnson, who organizes Help-Portrait Saskatoon, says every year it keeps getting bigger and more people are interested in helping out.
This year, Johnson says hairstylists and makeup artists from MC College have volunteered to help. Value Village will provide clothing that each client will be able to take home for no charge. Four local photographers will take the portraits, Joey’s Seafood Restaurant will provide lunch and Crushed Cupcakes by Angela will sponsor a kids’ area.
Bikers against Child Abuse and Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health (SWITCH) will also send volunteers. Johnson said the event has more than enough volunteers, but he will happily find a place for any last minute additions — just get in touch with him through the Photo Group YXE Facebook page.
They also welcome donations to cover the cost of printing supplies; any leftover cash will be donated to other community groups in Saskatoon.
“It’s so gratifying,” Johnson said. “Just the look on people’s face when they see that image, then when families turn around and say they haven’t had an image together for so long. Especially in this neighbourhood, there is such a transient lifestyle that just because everyone is together this week doesn’t mean they will be together next week.”
Some of the volunteers love the moment when each photo is unveiled to the client so much that they specifically ask to work at the photo distribution table every year, he said.
Help-Portrait Saskatoon photographs about 300 people each year, producing about 200 portraits. Because the event has a set date and location, people know to get ready for it, so the number coming in for a photo grows every year.
Johnson, who also works at the Westside Clinic, said he constantly hears from people who are excited to getting their photo taken at the event. For some, it has become a day they really look forward to throughout the year.
“For them to come in and get their whole family together for one day and it doesn’t cost anything — and they get lunch and they get their hair done — for a few people I know, it’s basically an event day for them,” he said.
Papp said his favourite part of the experience is the professional feel — especially when the photographer helps them to find a good pose, which makes each year’s photo different from the last.
Kinequon and Papp said it’s a great way to capture this area of their lives for the future. They plan to pass the photos down to their children once they are old enough to appreciate them.
“They’ll definitely want them,” Kinequon said. “Our youngest son is nine and already asking us if we have any baby pictures of him, so I think they would really enjoy looking back at these.”