With all 2020 grad celebrations cancelled due to the coronavirus, Amy Prydako, with Purple Cloth Photography, thought she could brighten some students’ days by offering free portraits to graduates.
Prydako follows several photographers on social media and the internet, so she did some research to see what they were doing to help others during the pandemic lockdown, she explained. One idea she liked was where photographers shoot pictures of families on their front porches. She figured she could also help others by shooting grad portraits for free.
“And I have a whole lot of friends who have kids who are graduating this year, so I was just kind of thinking (that) their whole world has been turned upside down, and they don’t get to do a lot of the things they may be planned for that they wanted to do,” she said, “like the banquets and grad parties and all those things that are a given in a normal year.”
The idea to offer free portraits to six graduates is also a way to help families, especially since some parents might not be working right now. The six graduates — who are selected during a six-week online Facebook contest and can be graduating either Grade 8 or Grade 12 — can choose to have pictures taken of them in casual dress or more formal wear. The students will have their photos taken once the physical distancing is no longer an issue.
The grad will receive a 30-minute portrait session and 10 digital images, with print and photo release.
Prydako chose a six-week contest since she was unsure how long the pandemic restrictions would be in place, she said. She didn’t want to run a more extended contest until she had a better idea of what was happening in the province; she might only be able to shoot the pictures in the fall or winter.
“It seems like people are interested,” she continued. “Everyone is kind of commenting and sharing, so I’m happy with it. It’s not so much about publicity as much as giving back at this time … . It’s a way I can help out when the time is right.”
Prydako — who has four kids, with her oldest being 14 — also wanted to protect her own family and not go out if it wasn’t necessary.
It will be disappointing and challenging for many students this year since they won’t be able to celebrate their graduations, she said. Many students she knows are disappointed about the situation. While the provincial government has said parts of the province would re-open in the coming weeks, it’s unlikely that large numbers of students will be able to celebrate together.
Purple Cloth Photography has been around for three years, but Prydako prefers to operate the business more as a hobby then a full-time job, she explained. She loves everything about it, she added, including photographing kids since they are filled with joy, while it’s more fun to shoot natural pictures versus posed ones.
For more information about the contest, visit www.facebook.com/purple.cloth.photography or www.purpleclothphotography.com.
