As part of our Portrait for Pixels campaign, we are turning the lens, so to speak, on the photographers who have generously accepted our invitation to take part in this innovative fundraising campaign. In today’s interview, we speak with Clayton J. Mitchell of San Pablo, California, US. 

Question 1: Tell us about yourself – how and why did you become a photographer?

I have always been fascinated by the fact that a camera can freeze time.  I have vivid childhood memories of holding my father’s old 35mm Pentax in my hands. There was something I admired about its mystifying dials and buttons, which could… somehow… capture what I saw and preserve it forever. Three decades later, that magic is with me. While the technology is more advanced, the end result is essentially the same. With this miraculous tool we can document the fun and important moments in our own lives and in history.

Becoming a Wedding and Portrait photographer has been a natural progression. Majoring in Photography in college, I cut my teeth studying art and photojournalism in Florence, Italy; Kerala, India; and Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. I learned the subtleties of studio lighting (and important mistakes to avoid!) over several years of managing small studios. I started my business in 2005 with a commitment to quality imagery, customer service, and a positive, professional attitude. I love my job and could not picture doing anything else.

Question 2: Why did you decide to participate in “Portraits for Pixels” and what are you going to do for the campaign?

I decided to participate in “Portraits for Pixels” so I could put my skills towards a great cause. I will be donating 25% of the proceeds from all participating clients during the campaign. In addition, I will be able to bring awareness to the issue of violence against women to my associate photographers, customers, and co-vendors.

Question 3: Violence against women has largely been seen as a “women’s issue”. As a man, have you been involved in other campaigns to end violence against women? If so, tell us about it and why you decided to get involved. If not, why you have decided to get involved now?

I was referred by a friend (and another P4P photographer!) to document the reconstructive surgery of a survivor of domestic violence here in the Bay Area.  I am hoping these pictures will help open people’s eyes to see how damaging and unfair violence against women is.  The problem is not just interpersonal, it is cultural – and we need to shift the way men behave towards women to have a truly civilized society.

Question 4: Violence against women is a sensitive, even taboo, issue in many cultures that is frequently shrouded by silence and denial. How do you think photographers and photography can help “break the silence”?

The camera is an extraordinary tool which has the unique ability to capture visual truths. Unlike other art forms, a photograph combines the intent of the photographer with his or her surroundings. I think by “telling the truth” with their cameras, photographers can “break the silence” with images that not only reveal  injustices, but also empower women with positive imagery.

Question 5: What do you think would be the best way of encouraging more photographers to get on board the cause to end violence against women?

By simply letting it be known that their actions can actually make a difference, I am sure many other photographers would jump at the chance to help with a great cause like this.  Often, people see problems in society, but have an attitude of “well, that’s terrible, but what can I do?” By seeing their peers take action, I think other photographers will be inspired to take action as well – I know it worked for me!

Question 6: Besides participating in campaigns such as “Portraits for Pixels”, how else do you think photographers can help stop violence against women?

I think the best way to stop violence against women is to lead by example.  If, in our daily lives, we treat women with the honor and respect they deserve, that behavior will replicate itself in our families and communities.  By bringing light to injustices and speaking up when we notice oppression, we can make it known that domestic violence is NOT okay, and will not be tolerated in our communities.

As part of our Portrait for Pixels campaign, we are turning the lens, so to speak, on the photographers who have generously accepted our invitation to take part in this innovative fundraising campaign. In today’s interview, we speak with Greta Jacobs of Houston, Texas, US. 

Question 1: Tell us about yourself – how and why did you become a photographer?

Like many photographers, the art of photography has long intrigued me.  However, I did not set out to make photography my career.  When making choices for college, photography seemed foreign and mystical to my conservative upbringing.  I felt I needed to pursue something that would earn a stable living.  After studying electrical engineering and continuing my studies in business school, I realized I was missing something and the creative world pulled me in.

I chose portrait photography because of its ability to connect one human to another regardless of time or space.  Growing up, my mother valued photographs of her family and made sacrifices to have our family portraits done at regular intervals.  I am so thankful for all of her efforts.  Now that she and my father have both passed away, our family photos help me relive all those wonderful memories.

I am honoured to be able to give that same gift to my clients and their families.

Question 2: Why did you decide to participate in “Portraits for Pixels” and what are you going to do for the campaign?

I learned of the Pixel Project through my affiliation with 85 Broads, a global network of women who are inspired, empowered and connected.  After participating in the Paint-it-Purple campaign last fall (see below) we decided that, as a child and family photography studio, the Pixel Project purpose aligns so well with our client base that we would continue to work on Pixel Project campaigns going forward.

The Portraits for Pixels campaign is a great opportunity for our clients to get their holiday photos done early while raising funds and awareness for this great cause.  Jacobs Design will support Portraits for Pixels through both of our photographic entities: Greta Jacobs Photography (www.gretajacobs.com) and GJpeg (www.gjpeg.com).  We will run our campaign from 9-22 September 2011.

Greta Jacobs Photography, our signature portrait business, will donate $100 from each session to Portraits for Pixels plus 10% of portrait sales.  GJpeg, our on-location digital product business, will donate $100 from each Purple Package.  Purple is the ribbon color for domestic violence awareness so we are encouraging our clients to choose this package to show support for eliminating domestic violence.  However, if budgets dictate otherwise, we will donate $75 from each Blue Package to the campaign.

Question 3: Have you been involved in other campaigns to end violence against women? If so, tell us about it and why you decided to get involved. If not, why you have decided to get involved now?

We had such a fun time with the Paint-it-Purple party last fall!  We coupled our cupcake sales with a toiletry drive for the Houston Area Women’s Center (www.hawc.org).  Our clients brought toiletries for HAWC and received a free 5×7 of their little one in Halloween costume.  The children were absolutely adorable!  Two local bakeries donated themed cupcakes for us to sell.  The money raised from the cupcake sale was split between The Pixel Project and HAWC.

Although we did not raise a lot of cash from selling cupcakes, we were able to bring in five large bags of items (thanks to our generous clients!) for the women’s centre to use in their programs for women and children.

With three small daughters in our home, I am hyper-vigilant of what the future might hold for them at all stages of their development.  My wish would be that they only find healthy relationships because no other kind exist!  With that being a bit unrealistic in the short-term, my focus is to educate them and others on all the types of abuse and to empower women to avoid abusive relationships in their lives.

Question 4: Violence against women is a sensitive, even taboo, issue in many cultures that is frequently shrouded by silence and denial. How do you think photographers and photography can help “break the silence”?

Photographers speak without words.  Carefully crafted imagery can convey powerful messages in a short time.  In this fast-paced world, consumers of information may more easily digest the visual messages that we photographers can deliver.

Question 5: What do you think would be the best way of encouraging more photographers to get on board the cause to end violence against women?

Violence against women affects all of us.  In Texas there were nearly 200,000 incidents of family violence in 2009 and (according to the Texas Council on Family Violence) 74% of all Texans have experienced some form of domestic violence either themselves, or by having seen a family member and/or a friend experience it.

There are many types of photographers out there.  But for those of us selling our work to consumers, we recognize that women account for over 80% of all consumer purchases.  It isn’t hard to join the statistics together and see that even if our clients are not personally affected, they probably know someone who is.

Question 6: Besides participating in campaigns such as “Portraits for Pixels”, how else do you think photographers can help stop violence against women?

The photographic community is rapidly changing with more women entering the business.  If we all learn to recognize the signs of abuse my hope is that we can become a resource for our clients and others to get help and get out of abusive relationships.

As part of our Portrait for Pixels campaign, we are turning the lens, so to speak, on the photographers who have generously accepted our invitation to take part in this innovative fundraising campaign. In today’s interview, we speak with Kim Poppleton of Denver, Colorado, US. 

Tell us about yourself – how and why did you become a photographer?

The hows and whys are a journey of discovery.

In 2004 I started my own business, Twiga Consulting, working closely with a start-up high school senior photographer here in Denver, Colorado. Vision Photography grew to a million dollar outfit while I grew in proficiency as an image re-toucher enhancing around 250 portraits a week in the busy summer months.

Then a life change and a switch to another very successful portrait photographer Sam Puc, specialising in pregnancy, family and kids, taking my Photoshop skills to a higher level. The journey continues and a new awakening with passion and desire to be the creator. F-stops, isos and shutter speeds and a learning curve that took me out on my own learning lighting, posing, composition and back to my childhood dream of telling a story through the art of photography.

Every day, every shoot I learn something new, how to play with light and enhance and brighten those who come through my world. Many say, “You don’t know what you don’t know” so every day I look for what I don’t know and that it will be a lifetime quest a story of balancing light and dark.

Why did you decide to participate in “Portraits for Pixels” and what are you going to do for the campaign?

I have volunteered for The Pixel Project since November 2009 and have been a part of their awareness campaign, recruiting assistant photographers for their celebrity male role model photography shoots in 2010. I also interviewed in the Good Works section of the October 2010 issue of Professional Photographer magazine, in honour of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month month, in an article called “Pixels Combat Violence”.

It is a natural progression for me as a survivor to support The Pixel Project’s quest to help women and children. I have since 2009 grown my network on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, sharing information related to Domestic Violence, individuals and organisations around the world on making a difference in the lives of so many: stories of grief and sadness, others of triumph overcoming trauma and giving back; and information on depression, trauma and other issues like teen dating violence, bullying, human trafficking and 21^st century slavery of girls as young as 10 in prostitution rings.

With these connections I hope that many will take part in “Portraits for Pixels” and I will invite all I know to take part, even by just offering one day in August or September to donate to make our industry one that is making a difference in social issues of today.

Have you been involved in other campaigns to end violence against women? If so, tell us about it and why you decided to get involved. If not, why you have decided to get involved now?

In 2007 I completed my orientation and direct service training with a local organisation, The Women’s Crisis and Family Outreach Centre, which provides outpatient and shelter services to victims of domestic violence in Kiowa, Elbert and Douglas County, Colorado. This orientation opened my eyes to: the issues facing survivors; the danger and complexity of physical, psychological, sexual, religious and financial abuse; the effects of this abuse on depression, anxiety and trauma related symptoms; and the devastating effects of abuse on children and their lives.

On completing my training I was given the opportunity by the TWCFOC speaker’s bureau to talk to some teenage girls on abuse. I hope that I may continue this and volunteer at the shelter in the future as time allows. I have also spoken to the Denver press in relation to the Gateway Battered Women’s organisation, another shelter helping victims in Denver. In addition to the above I am active on social media where I am connected to many wanting a peaceful world. The Pixel Project was important with its attachment to the NCADV located here in Denver. My direct contact with them creating the 2009 “Remember My Name” poster and being given the chance to create the 2010 poster is important to me.

Violence against women is a sensitive, even taboo, issue in many cultures that is frequently shrouded by silence and denial. How do you think photographers and photography can help “break the silence”?

A photograph can send a powerful message like the Afghan girl pictured on the cover of the August 9^th 2010 issue of Time magazine, a young girl who was disfigured because she fled abusive in-laws. A good photographer is able to capture the emotion, anger, sadness, despair or the joy of empowerment, education and freedom. We have all seen images that have made us stop and think, like those of famine in Africa, images of the collapse and horror of 9/11 or, on the other side, an image of beauty that has brought a feeling of peace and joy through our being.

There is much sadness in the world but also much beauty if you take the time to slow down and look for it.  We may not be in the industry of journalistic photography exposing truths from around the world but even as a portrait, landscape, sports, architectural, advertising or wildlife photographer we can make a difference in our own towns. Just by sitting up and taking notice of a social issue shrouded in silence we could all make a difference by giving information to a teen, a leaflet to a woman, a hug to a child, a listening ear to a friend which could change their world for ever.

What do you think would be the best way of encouraging  more photographers to get on board the cause to end violence against women?

I know that many photographers are very involved within their own community covering events for free in an economic climate that is not helping the industry—photo shoots for causes that are important to them for personal reasons, touched by individual stories. Many have their own nonprofits or foundations making a difference in society.

I think it’s important to explain that domestic violence and violence against women is a global social issue and that 1 in 4 women will be affected by domestic violence in their lifetime. This means that we all know someone, who is maybe a victim of rape, bullying, humiliation, isolation by a partner; a daughter, a mother, granddaughter, grandmother, a son, a friend.

Domestic violence is not gender specific although a higher percentage of women are victims. It’s not age specific or only lower income levels. It can and does affect many from all walks of life with different religious beliefs in countries from Africa to Asia to the United States, the UK and everywhere in between. Maybe by educating an industry I so love I can influence them to take part even for just one day.

Besides participating in campaigns such as “Portraits for Pixels”, how else do you think photographers can help stop violence against women?

An issue that is often shrouded in secrecy and silence, the humiliation felt by either not knowing where you are or by believing that this is what life is to be, a distorted perception of reality. A family in denial of abuse within their walls numbed by the pain of reality or a young child sold into prostitution or to a man twice her age for the families’ benefit. I believe only through education and awareness can we even begin to lift the veil and bring light to a very dark subject. In the dark, the humiliation of being a victim can be overwhelming and the fear paralysing.

As a photographer and individual we can make a choice to find out more by contacting our local shelter, maybe highlighting safe dating information through our websites for teens, showing them what a healthy relationships looks like. We can make a difference through helping anti-bullying campaigns or by signing a petition to help a victim of violence. The Pixel Project is working on a global awareness campaign as well as raising funds for 2 organisations. All they are asking for is one day or maybe one hour and a donation to make a difference, make a choice, and be voice against violence against women.