Local photographer Matthew Hamilton, of MHamiltonVisuals, is 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.
Hamilton — whose website is https://mhamiltonvisuals.com — will be producing the headshots on Wednesday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Rittenhouse Filmworks, 219 W. Rittenhouse Street. Headshots are open to anyone currently unemployed, but participants are asked to visit https://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.
“The Philadelphia community, like so many others, was hit hard by COVID-19 and I was looking for ways to help our neighbors get back on their feet,” said Hamilton, who noted that, according to LinkedIn, people who include headshots receive 21 times more profile views and nine times more ‘connection’ requests. “We heard about what Headshot Booker was 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 project.”
The 10,000 Headshots initiative is the brainchild of Tony Taafe, who cofounded Headshot Booker with 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 said. “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.”
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. ••
