Photo deal aims to help restaurants

A local photographer is doing her part to help support local businesses during this month’s coronavirus-related shutdowns.

Kristen Kidd, a Lansdale native with a photo studio in North Wales, is offering to match gift cards bought at local businesses by donating her own photo services.

“I am a small business, so I understand a lot of the complexities and nuances that go into that,” said Kidd.

“It’s not just about the business, it’s about the greater good, and it’s about relationships, and it’s about caring and love and all of that kind of stuff,” she said.

Kidd has shot photos professionally for over a decade, and started shooting at age 15, “and

have pretty much had a camera in my hands ever since.” Since schedules are now open and bookings being pushed back until at least May, Kidd said, she hit on an idea to support local businesses, and give anyone stuck in quarantine something to look forward to: for any gift card they purchase to a local business, up to $50, she’ll match ten times that amount in a gift certificate for her photo services.

“I can’t do any sessions currently, because obviously I’m a non-essential business, which is a bummer. But I can still have really important conversations with people, and get them excited about the sessions that we can do when the quarantine is lifted,” she said.

As an example, if someone spends $50 on a gift

card to a local business, then sends Kidd a photo of their receipt, she’ll give them a $500 gift certificate they can use for portraits, family photos, pet pics, or more, with no requirement to spend above that amount. Kidd said the idea came from following fellow photographers around the world, looking for ways to help their own communities recover from the coronavirus and related closings.

“Someone had recommended that this would be a really good way to promote shopping locally, and I was like, ‘Oh this is great, this is awesome. Of course. No-brainer,’” Kidd said.

So far several local residents have already submitted theirs, mostly to local restaurants, “which is great — I just end up feeling really hungry after I see all the receipts, for pizza and mozzarella sticks, things like that.”

Once you contact Kidd via her social media channels or emailing KristenKiddphotography@gmail. com, she’ll send the gift certificate and book a date for a photo shoot, likely in May or later depending on the quarantine status by then.

“I’ve had a few women tell me, they’re just so excited for this, because everything has been shut down and they’re cooped up at home,” she said.

“They can’t wait for their session. They haven’t been able to book a vacation, they can’t travel, don’t know what’s going to happen next, and just knowing that they have this to look forward to, they’re like, ‘This is my vacation.’”

Pre-coronavirus, Kidd

said one of her favorite ways to support local businesses was by organizing “Meet your neighbors” gettogethers at local restaurants, which she said will resume once conditions permit. In the meantime, she’s also working on a “Woman’s Best Friend Project,” a photo book that tells the stories of women and their relationships with their dogs, with proceeds going to local animal rescues.

“When you’re on quarantine, you can’t look ahead, and be like ‘I know what I’m doing next weekend, or in a month, or three or six months,’” she said.

“There’s such a level of uncertainty right now, it’s been awesome to restore a little bit of that joy.”

For more information visit www.KristenKiddPhotography.com, search for “Kristen Kidd Photography” on Facebook or follow @KristenKiddPhotography on Instagram.