Nothing says “I’m ready to work” more than a freshly pressed suit, an updated resume, and of course, a professional headshot, and you can get yours taken for FREE on Wednesday, July 22.
Regardless of profession, the COVID-19 pandemic sent millions of Americans to the unemployment line without warning. That is why local photographers Andrew Crain of Crain Photography and Charlie Cotugno of Charles Cotugno Photography are participating with Headshot Booker and Brookfield Properties in the largest, single-day photo initiative that will provide 10,000 unemployed Americans nationwide with a complimentary, professional headshot to include with their resumes and post to job sites such as LinkedIn.
Andrew and Charlie will be producing the complimentary headshots on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. at the Brookfield Property located at the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood. Complimentary headshots are open to anyone currently unemployed, but participants are asked to visit HeadshotBooker.com for details and schedule a time to be photographed. More than 200 photographers will participate across all 50 states, creating pop-up studios at nearly every Brookfield retail location nationwide. Headshots will be provided to participants on site through event photo sharing platform SpotMyPhotos.
“Our community, like so many others, was hit hard by COVID-19 and we were looking for ways to help our neighbors get back on their feet,” said Charlie and Andrew who noted that, according to LinkedIn, people who include headshots receive 21 times more profile views and 9 times more ‘connection’ requests. “We heard about what Headshot Booker and Brookfield Properties were doing across the country and wanted to be a part of it. We are excited and grateful to be able to contribute to such a great initiative.”
10,000 Headshots is the brainchild of Tony Taafe, who co-founded Headshot Booker with renowned portrait photographer, Peter Hurley and national event photographer, Lauren Lieberman. Taafe recalled the struggles his dad had with unemployment and the impact it had on his entire family.
“I know firsthand that the effects of unemployment extend well beyond an individual,” he explains. “My dad was the hardest working person I ever met. He was in construction so the work wasn’t consistent and he had almost zero job security. “Unemployment impacts everyone and everything associated with that person,” Taafe continued.
“Headshot Booker is in a unique position to provide out-of-work Americans with an important element of the job search process – a great, professional headshot. And thanks to our partners who share a similar vision, we will be able to help thousands of unemployed Americans put their best foot forward and help them get back to work.”
“We are proud and excited to host the 10,000 Headshots initiative across our portfolio,” said Brookfield Properties Chief Marketing Officer Michelle Snyder. “As we continue to welcome guests back to our centers, we are grateful for this opportunity to help the members of our communities that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.” Snyder emphasized that safety for all participants is a core focus, and each photographer will follow specific protocols to ensure safe distancing and hygiene practices throughout the day.
The base price for a high quality, professional headshot starts around $250, which equates to more than $2.5 million in collective services these photographers will provide through this initiative.
In addition to Headshot Booker, Brookfield Properties, and SpotMyPhotos, additional support is provided by Canon USA, Tether Tools, and PhotoFlashDrive.
ABOUT CRAIN PHOTOGRAPHY
Andrew is a Certified Photographer through the Professional Photographers of America and a Regional Representative of the Professional Photographers of Washington. He has been providing Headshots for Business, as well as Family and Highschool Senior Portraits, to the greater Seattle area, for more than twenty years. More info at https://www.crainphotography.com/.
ABOUT CHARLES COTUGNO PHOTOGRAPHY
Charlie Cotugno is a Seattle based commercial, performance, and portrait photographer as well as the founder and lead photographer for the national project, Stories of Autism. He also speaks on the topic of leveraging photography for marketing success and career advancement. More info at https://cotugnophoto.com.
This is a wonderful initiative, congratulations to all who are joining it! As photographers have been hit probably the hardest in this pandemic, let’s hope that some of the participants will help them back in time.