PMDA Launches 2012 Portraits of Love Project, Providing Military Families with Free...

PMDA Launches 2012 Portraits of Love Project, Providing Military Families with Free Portraits for the Holidays

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Woodbury, NY—The PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA), a respected photo industry organization that brings together some of the most renowned brand names in the photographic community, will launch its fourth annual Portraits of Love project in November 2012.

Starting November 1, 2012 and running through January 31, 2013 active-duty military families can sign up for a free family portrait session hosted by the program’s growing network of photographers. Participants will receive two free 5×7 prints from Shutterfly. Active military families can participate at select USO facilities, military bases hosting portrait sessions and at the project’s nationwide network of local photography studios.

A joint effort between the PMDA and the USO military support organization, the Portraits of Love project seeks to provide professional photographers with an opportunity to use their talents to show their appreciation for all those serving our country, both at home and abroad.

To find a local independent studio or for information on participating USO offices and on-base sessions, military families can visit the Portraits of Love website at pmdaportraitsoflove.com.

“Each year, it is the PMDA’s great honor to support our servicemen and women through the Portraits of Love project, a meaningful way for the photography community to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for our nation,” said Joellyn Gray, president of the PMDA. “This is the fourth year for Portraits of Love, and each year we’re able to reach out to more families and connect them with the hundreds of professional photographers that want to show their appreciation. This season, we’re welcoming all active duty military personnel and their families to participate—not just those with deployed family members—and we’re making it easier than ever to view and order free prints online.”

To take advantage of the free portrait offer, military personnel should schedule a free family portrait session with one of the participating independent photographers, or plan to attend one the of the USO-hosted or on-base sessions in their community.

Participating through Independent Photographers. Families wishing to participate through the Portraits of Love project’s local network of independent photography studios should visit pmdaportraitsoflove.com/families.php. Families can locate their preferred studio and contact it directly to schedule appointments. Following the portrait session, military families will receive an e-mail share link from their photographer with access to their portrait at shutterfly.com, along with a code redeemable for two free 5×7 prints.

Participating through the USO and Select Military Bases. For families taking advantage of the sessions scheduled at the local USO facilities or on military bases listed below, the process will be very similar. A complete schedule of sessions will soon be available at pmdaportraitsoflove.com.

Among the confirmed sessions, from December 8–9, 2012, Ft. Hood, Texas, will host the Portraits of Love at Oveta Culp Hobby Soldier & Family Readiness Center, Building 18000, Battalion Ave. Active-duty military families should contact 254-288-2794 to schedule an appointment.

      Registration for Independent Photographers
Interested photographers can immediately register to participate in the program online at pmdaportraitsoflove.com/photographers.php. Volunteer photographers will receive program promotional materials from the PMDA along with directions on how to upload portraits to the project’s fulfillment system on Shutterfly.

Additionally, volunteer photographers will be asked to provide details about their studio space, such as location, size and setup to allow organizers to plan for anticipated volumes in each market. Photographers are being asked to open their doors to military families beginning November 1, 2012.

Sponsors of the 2012 Portraits of Love project include: Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Digital Photo Academy, Photo Industry Reporter, Samsung, Shutterfly, Sigma, Panasonic, Hewlett-Packard, Tamron and The Tiffen Company.

To visit the Portraits of Love Project website, log on to pmdaportraitsoflove.com, or check out the project’s Facebook page at facebook.com/portraits.of.love.

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