Brotherly Love: Photographer Gives Smiles With Free Baby Portraits
By Ukee Washington
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A local photographer says every parent deserves a beautiful portrait of their baby. So she found a unique way to help low-income parents: offering free photo sessions.
Through the lens of Sheila Hudson's camera, seven-month-old Marcellus is a star. So are 11-month-old Marley and five-month-old Nala.
Sheila captures poses for parents who otherwise couldn't afford a portrait session. She calls it "Giving Smiles."
Nala's mother, Alicia Jones of East Norriton, said, "It was a lot of fun. She made me laugh a lot."
Sheila got the idea while volunteering at Abington Hospital helping low-income parents.
"Since photography is kind of a hobby of mine, I thought these parents would probably appreciate having no-cost portraits done of their babies," she said.
The parents are all clients of Montgomery County's Nurse Family Partnership, which helps low-income first-time parents.
"We're trying to promote healthy moms and families," said Susan Vukovich, of the Nurse Family Partnership. "Photos of the baby are a nice family memento and help to reinforce that bond."
Parents get a framed portrait, prints, and a CD of their picture files, all valued at $200.
Stephanie Major, Marcellus' mother, said, "We'll be able to remember him forever at this age, which is so fun, and it's going so fast already."
All the more reason for Sheila to move quickly before time moves on.
Photo paper, ink, packaging, and equipment cost an estimated $40 per session. You can get in touch with Sheila Hudson of Giving Smiles Photography on her website: http://givingsmilesphotography.org