Honor our Vets by telling their stories

Veterans Day on the National Mall provides a unique opportunity for focused storytelling from a host of compelling subjects. On this day, many Vets return to the Mall to remember their service and pay respect to their fallen service members. You won’t hear them say they are heroes, but if you talk with them for more than five minutes, you will hear some incredible stories of bravery. 

Join PhotoTour DC for a unique photo tour on the National Mall where we learn the principles of photojournalism and environmental portraiture and use them to honor our Veterans. 

Storytelling with words and photos

The human interest feature story has long been one of the favorite photojournalism forms because it allows the photojournalist a wide range of creativity in telling a person’s story. Photojournalists ask questions that elicit compelling stories and take photos that provide unique insights into a subject’s personality. On this photo tour you will learn:   

• How do you find and evaluate great subjects for a feature story?
• What techniques engage your subjects to open up and talk with you?
• What information are you looking for during the interview?
• What’s the best way to photograph your subject to enhance the story?
• What environmental portrait techniques make the most engaging photos?

After our lesson, we will fan out around the Mall to find great stories from the many Vets who visit the monuments. We will interview and photograph them to create photo stories that honor their service.

Attend and support the Fisher House

In the spirit of support for our veterans, I will also donate a portion of the profits to the Fisher House. 

The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.

You can also add your own direct contribution to the Fisher House.