SMC To Offer Free Family Portraits For Woolsey Fire Victims

SANTA MONICA, CA – The faculty and students of the Santa Monica College Photography Department are offering free group portraits to families who were affected by the Woolsey Fire. Each family will get a private 20-minute photo session on Saturday, January 5, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the photo studios at SMC’s main campus.

Those interested can book appointments through the Photography Department’s website. The sessions will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, and includes hair and makeup touch-up services provided by SMC Cosmetology students, the SMC press release said. SMC Fashion Design & Merchandising students also will be on hand to help with any last-minute wardrobe styling adjustments, the press release said. Each family will be provided a complimentary matted 8x10 archival black-and-white print, as well as 10 digital images for personal use.

The Old Topanga Fire of 1993, which caused widespread destruction in Malibu, was the original impetus for the project, according to SMC Photography Instructor Blue Fier.

“I remember seeing families, friends, and people of all ages being interviewed by TV newscasters,” Fier said in a statement. “What touched me was that nearly all of those whose homes had been burnt said they were glad they grabbed their family photo albums...or that they regretted not having taken them.”

At the time, Fier took family portraits for free as a personal project – now after the Woolsey Fire, Fier thought it would be an ideal project for SMC students, the press release said. The photos will be taken in Drescher Hall, Room 110. The main Santa Monica College campus is located at 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica.

Image via Goir Photo/Shutterstock