Adopt-A-Child Photography is excited to announce we are now offering photo sessions again.
We are asking all of our volunteers to be fully vaccinated against COVID if possible.
We are also asking our volunteers to provide only outdoor photo sessions, continue wearing masks, and maintain six feet of distance. Youth will need to remove masks during photo sessions for pictures. We do ask that all attending adults wear masks and help the photographer at a distance as needed.
We know the global coronavirus pandemic is having an impact across our region, as well as on our services.
Adopt-A-Child Photography has suspended all photo session since Governor Jay Inslee announced the state-wide ‘Stay At Home, Stay Healthy’ order. When the order has been lifted, we will follow recommended guidelines and establish recommended safety standards for the safety of our volunteers, youth in the foster care system across the state, and their caregivers.
We still welcome requests for photo sessions. You can read more information about requests here.
In response to the current outbreak, we have also canceled our Spring 2020 Studio Day that was scheduled for May. We will consider how best to proceed with our Summer 2020 Studio Day with our partners at Northwest Adoption Exchange in August as we get closer to recruitment for the big day.
In the meantime, we encourage everyone to stay home and stay healthy.
Looking for information and resources about coronavirus in Washington state? Head to the Washington State Coronavirus Response website.
We had a fantastic morning during the most recent Studio Day. What made this group of youths so great to work with was their enthusiasm in collaborating with our team of volunteer photographers to create some fun memories along with some awesome portraits.
Thank you to our partners at Northwest Adoption Exchange (NWAE) for helping make Studio Day a great event. These studio days allow AACP to create portraits of multiple children in one day, helping improve or reinvigorate the children’s chances of being adopted.
Head over to the NWAE’s website to see profiles of the youths we’ve photographed and many more who are looking for permanent adoptive homes. You can also follow AACP on Facebook or check out the NWAE Facebook page, too.
We photographed another great group of kids on Saturday, July 14 for our second quarterly Studio Day at AACP founder Jennifer Loomis’ studio. The timing of a big concert at the Inscape Arts Building also worked in our favor as crowds started arriving after finishing our final portrait sessions.
Check out NWAE’s Washington Adoption page in the coming weeks to see our work, but until then, here are some behind-the-scenes shots of our awesome volunteers doing their thing.
Deadline extended to June 10.
Adopt-A-Child Photography is recruiting its third team of photographers to help achieve our mission of making sure all children in foster care in Washington State have an updated and accurate profile photograph. We believe that finding loving forever homes for children in care starts with an amazing photograph.
How to Apply:
Photographers must apply with a one-page statement about why they want to be a part of this organization and submit a body of portrait work either through a link or slideshow (please do not send jpgs) to jennifer@jenniferloomis.com by June 10.
Jennifer Loomis and two AACP photographers then review the applicants with only the top photographers being selected.
Puget Sound-area photographers need to attend a mandatory training held by Adopt-A-Child Photography and Northwest Adoption Exchange with current AACP photographers in Seattle on Tuesday, June 12, at 7 p.m. Photographers on the east side of the state will have a separate training, with details pending.
The session includes sensitivity training on how to work with this unique population, special techniques for photographing, legal issues of photographing the children, how their images can be used and more. In addition, all selected photographers are required to undergo a criminal background check.
Once trained, photographers join our team. We are a supportive community and do several events a year. Our team photographers can select the region they want to cover and their names are added to our list on the internal state website accessed by social workers. Social workers call a photographer in their area when their child needs an updated profile photo.
Your photography can change a life. Join our team grow, learn and make a difference.
Applications are due June 10.
AACP teamed up with Northwest Adoption Exchange recently to kick off quarterly Studio Days. Our first event updated profiles for seven youths who are looking for permanent homes. Our team of volunteers took turns photographing the children in a variety of settings near AACP founder Jennifer Loomis’ studio in Seattle, and the team at NWAE put together some awesome goodie bags for the participants.
Our goal at AACP goes beyond simply updating photos. We empower the children using photography to create their own images as well as capture their personalities and interests. If you want to see the final photos, check out the NWAE profiles.
We’re gearing up for our next quarterly Studio Day in July, so stay tuned for more information!
Northwest Adoption Exchange has started producing in-depth profiles, and we’ll be highlighting them on our Facebook page from time to time. We’d love to share them here, but once a child is adopted, they’re removed from the NWAE site and we want to respect the children’s privacy. You can visit NWAE.org to check out the latest profiles, some of which feature portraits made by our awesome volunteers!
Want to get involved? We’re always looking for volunteers and donations beyond photography. If you’re interested in donating food for events, clothing options or your make-up skills, please contact us on the Volunteer page.
We’ve been thrilled with the numbers of volunteers who have joined our first two waves of recruiting. Now we’re looking to expand. At this point, we are not looking for anymore photographers in King County. There’s a great need in Pierce County, however. Keep in mind that some of these portrait sessions may happen during normal business hours.
We’re also hoping to recruit more photographers in Eastern Washington—especially around the Spokane area.
Are you interested or know somebody who might be? Head over to the Volunteer page!
Northwest Adoption Exchange hosted its biannual Kids’ Fest in Tacoma on Dec. 3, bringing together children in foster care to casually interact with parents interested in adopting. The event featured games, prizes, crafts and a photo booth—which Adopt-A-Child Photography ran.
Matt, Tom, Jackie and Kai worked to photograph children, some of whom had no photo on the NWAE website, to improve the children’s profiles. After Kai photographed them in the studio space set up, Jackie and Tom photographed the children outside in different settings. Matt set up the backdrop and lights, and worked throughout the day to provide prints to the children.
The volunteers from Adopt-A-Child Photography gathered at Jennifer Loomis’ studio for training on Nov. 2. The session brought together the first team with new volunteers to network and learn more about Northwest Adoption Exchange from its Director Tyler Helbach.
One eye-opening example showed the potential impact of upgrading a child’s profile with professional photos. After adding new photos from AACP, this happened to one child’s page:
Quinn Russell Brown and Matt Lawrence also shared their personal experiences while photographing children in foster care.
And Playback Theater Northwest once again reenacted real-life scenarios to discuss potential pitfalls and ethics while working on-site.
Interested in joining the team? We’re looking for photographers, donors and other volunteers. Check out the Volunteer page for more information!