Photographers to donate headshots for unemployed job hunters

A Mohnton-based photographer is taking part in a nationwide effort to provide free professional headshots to unemployed workers.

Don Carrick from Studio 413 will be participating in the effort on Wednesday at Neshaminy Mall in Bucks County between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

According to a press release, the single-day photo initiative will provide 10,000 unemployed Americans with a complementary, professional headshot to include with their resumes and post to job sites such as LinkedIn.

Another participating location is Park City Center, Lancaster, where Phoenixville-based studios, Jim McAndrew Photography and Gary Walens Photography, will join forces with Lancaster-based photographers to take headshots between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Both Neshaminy Mall and Park City are owned by Brookfield Properties, which is sponsoring the project at its malls across 43 states. According to a press release, more than 200 photographers will participate in pop-up studios. Headshots will be provided to participants on site through event photo sharing platform SpotMyPhotos.

According to the release, the complimentary headshots are open to anyone currently unemployed, but participants are asked to visit HeadshotBooker.com for details and schedule a time to be photographed.

“Our community, like so many others, was hit hard by COVID-19 and we were looking for ways to help our neighbors get back on their feet,” Carrick said in a press release. “I heard about what Headshot Booker and Brookfield Properties were doing across the country and I’m totally on board to be a part of it. I am excited and grateful to be able to contribute to such a great initiative.”

The idea for 10,000 Headshots came from Tony Taafe, who cofounded Headshot Booker with portrait photographer Peter Hurley and national event photographer Lauren Lieberman.

In a statement, Taafe recalled the struggles his dad had with unemployment and the impact it had on his family.

“I know firsthand that the effects of unemployment extend well beyond an individual,” Taafe said. “My dad was the hardest working person I ever met. He was in construction so the work wasn’t consistent and he had almost zero job security. Unemployment impacts everyone and everything associated with that person.”

The base price for a professional headshot starts around $250, which equates to more than $2.5 million in collective services these photographers will provide through this initiative.