PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench in the arts and theater community, and some performers are still out of work. So when venues can reopen again and shows return, Philly photographer Ashley Smith wants them to be able to put their best faces forward.
Smith, of Wide Eyed Studios, is offering a free photoshoot on Saturday so entertainers can update their portfolios and find work after the pandemic.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity,” she said, “especially since people are probably low on funds, having not been working.”
She wants to make people feel “like they could find that new job or start that new project or just get out there into the world again looking their best.”
Artist photoshoots would usually cost between $100 and $600, depending on the length of the shoot.
“So the idea that I can give something worth at least a couple hundred dollars to these wonderful creators for free is really exciting,” she added.
“History is going on around us. It makes a lot of people, myself included, feel hopeless, helpless, unsure how to reach out to the others that we see around us that are hurting and need a lift up. I’m glad I’m in a position where my images could help people not only get future work but feel good about themselves and remember to love themselves.”
This weekend’s photoshoot will take place outside The Drake Theatre. To book an appointment, contact Smith at ashley@wideeyedstudios.com.