In Tuesday’s creativeLIVE chat, asked a question we thought deserved addressing in a blog post: “I attended a HP meeting last week, and basically they are going to setup all the stations (lights) and don’t want you to bring anything but your camera. Also didn’t want to really get into who’s taking the photos. My question is basically why do we need photographers then? Anyone can press a button. Hope this makes sense…”

It does make sense. Why do we need photographers if this isn’t about skill or art or ability? The answer is simple. This isn’t about photography. It’s about meeting the needs of our community. It’s about making individual connections with others who deserve it. It’s about really seeing people – the lens is just a tool to facilitate that connection. It’s about giving people a visual reminder of their beauty and dignity. As we’ve said before, it’s not about us.

It simply isn’t that important that you have lighting and high-tech gear. Don’t get us wrong – they are nice to have. Natural light or lighting kits, SLRs and point and shoot cameras, amateur and pro photographers – it’s all welcome at Help-Portrait events.

In Tuesday’s chat, shared: “I think that in our efforts to create the best event we can, there is a tendency to over complicate things. If we remember that the day is meant to create a sense of worth and pride in others, I don’t think you can go wrong.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Join us for the last creativeLIVE chat Tuesday at 11am ET. And remember to report your event details after your event as this helps us better share and spread the Help-Portrait story.