Free Portraits for Military Family Members

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Feb. 7, students at College of DuPage will volunteer their time and talents to photograph military family members. Professor of Photography Terry Vitacco is the contact person for the project and we asked her a number of questions.

Q: Where did the idea to offer free portraits to military family members originate?

The idea came about when I was discussing ideas for the College of DuPage Photo Club with the student officers. We wanted to do a service project for the community. At first we discussed photographing senior citizens in homes, but the logistics would have been difficult. We wanted to take Valentine photos, so I suggested Valentines for Veterans.

Q: Do you or any of your students or club members have family in the military/are active or reserve military members?

Several of the students who are volunteering for the project are veterans. JoAnn Hartley, an Air Force Veteran will be photographing military families tomorrow. Lorae Mundt, Army Veteran will also be one of our photographers. We also have veteran students serving as photo assistants. I’m not sure how many more of our students are in the reserve.

Q: How many people do you have registered?

Right now we have about 10 families registered, but we are planning for walk-ins who may not have made an appointment. We can serve up to 30 families between 10 am. and 3 p.m. tomorrow.

Q: What has been the response so far?

The response to the project has been overwhelmingly positive. I receive many, many emails from the community thanking us in advance for doing Valentines for Veterans. We got many enthusiastic volunteers for the event tomorrow - photographers, photo assistant, photo editors, refreshment donations, studio set-up assistants, and more. Everyone was anxious to help.

Q: From a teacher’s perspective, what kind of experience does this offer students?

From a teacher’s perspective, this project has many rewards. First, the students can give back to military families who have sacrificed so much. They will also be able to share their considerable photographic talents with the community. Military families will get professional studio portraits. After each session, they will go to our Photo Lounge for refreshments while the student photo editors edit the images and burn CD’s for the families so families will leave with great photos to share on social media or print.

Q: Who is eligible for the session?
All military families are eligible - Active, Reserve or Retired. We have a WWII veteran coming tomorrow.

Q: Is there any plan to share the photos/ stories with the public?

At this point, we plan to share the photos on our COD Photo Club Facebook page. Since tomorrow is the first time we are doing this, we will have to evaluate other good ways to showcase the work.

Q: The information online has two email addresses. Is there a phone number people can call to make an appointment?

If someone would like to make an appointment tomorrow during the event, they should call the Photo Lab Desk at 630-942-2317.