Luna sailing the sky tonight

Gorgeous sky out Hella's back window tonight. Sweet dreams all.

Press kit ready to roll!

I have completed the Jackdaw press kit thanks to the expert help of my good friend Robert Lowery. I'll be using it to notify local press outlets of my arrival in their communities. It will be a great tool for generating awareness of what I'm doing in the communities I will be visiting. Obviously, I'll be customizing each release for the community I'm headed to. Here's the release I'll soon be submitting to my local Ellensburg media-

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER TO CREATE FREE PORTRAITS FOR MARGINALIZED FAMILIES

January 29, 2018

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Professionally taken portraits are cherished by all family members. However, not all families can afford to have one taken, especially by a professional photographer with more than 30-years-worth of experience.

Richard Villacres, of jackdaw.love, has decided he wants to help change that fact.

For the last 16 years, Villacres has been Central Washington University’s official campus photographer, as well as shooting commercially for over 30 years.

He will soon embark on his new calling: to create free, family portraits for those living in marginalized communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

“I’ve been thinking about doing something like this all my life—finding a way to use my passions in a way that would bless others and be a truly meaningful use of my gifts and energy,” said Villacres. “My focus will be on serving families, many of which have never had portraits of any kind. This is especially true for families that are homeless, escaping abusive situations, dealing with socioeconomic oppression, or are struggling with poverty or addiction. There is zero cost to the families for which I create portraits.”

His preparations have been underway for several years. They included the purchase and full restoration of a vintage 1954 Dodge M152 radio truck that had originally served with the Canadian Armed Forces. Having resurrected the truck from the dead and converting it’s radio room section to a living space, it will be his only home when he begins his new endeavor full time in August.

“The truck is now my home,” he acknowledged. “I’m content with the minimalist lifestyle I need in order to make this outreach possible.”

His work will be funded entirely by monthly patronage through the artist crowdfunding site Patreon, along with one-time, or recurring donations through PayPal. and from the savings he has been able to set aside.

“It’s a little scary,” Villacres admitted. “I will be starting the work at the same time as I try to develop a support base for the outreach. And I need to do it before my savings run out.”

He went on to point out, “These portraits will never show up in a book or for advertising of any kind. They are gifts for the families and the photos will belong entirely to them. This gift is intended to affirm their worth and dignity despite whatever battles they’re involved in. They are the ones I want to honor and for whom this gift is intended.”

All the work is anonymous with no identification required of the people and families he will photograph. Each family will receive a 5 x 7 inch print of their finished portraits as well as the digital files of their photos so that they can print and share other copies.

Villacres will host his first local community family portrait day on Saturday, April 14 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. in McElroy Park (1704 Brick Road) in Ellensburg.

“These portrait days are designed specifically to serve families that don’t have the resources to hire a professional to create a quality portrait,” he stated.

Other family portrait days are planned for this spring will be in Mattawa, Othello, and Toppenish.

For additional information, visit:

www.jackdaw.love

www.facebook.com/familianomad

Instagram: @richardvillacres

Or

Email: redskyphoto@yahoo.com

Phone/Text: 509-607-3827

Please let me know what you think of it! Thanks!

Beginning direct appeals to my friends for patronage

I have begun private messaging all my Facebook friends making direct appeals for Jackdaw support. I do so with absolutely no expectation! It's simply an invitation to be part of what I'm doing. I fully understand that many people can not afford to be a financial part of what I'm doing. I appreciate them simply sharing Jackdaw on their social media as well as their expressions of spiritual and moral support. I'm only through the first names starting with a 'B' at this point. But already the feedback about the website copy has been invaluable! Thank you for sharing your impressions. It is helping me make the site better all the time. One great point that two friends made to me in the last couple of days is that they would like to see family portraits on the site. I completely understand that expectation, but there is a specific reason why I am not doing that. I've added a section explaining why this is. Here's the copy regarding sharing family portraits from the FAQ section of jackdaw.love-

Why aren't there any family portraits displayed on your site? 

The vast majority of the families I am photographing either need to remain anonymous or simply desire to be. This is not a campaign for social change or a cause beyond blessing people with portraits of their families and children. None of the people I photograph have to give me any identification or documentation. I keep no records of them beyond archiving their shots. No names are written down, only their shoot day portrait number so that I can deliver their images to them the day after the shoot. While I am sure I will ultimately shoot families that would like for their portraits to be shared, I will only do so on my blog. This is because it is important that when potential clients go to this website for the first time, they don't see it populated with family portraits which could make them nervous about their images being posted on the web or used to promote this outreach. I have been part of the marketing machine my entire career and that's the last thing I want this gift to be perceived as. Jackdaw is a completely open offering to bless. One that gives to these individuals and families without condition. And since I am serving communities that often live on the margins of society, and even immigration law in some cases, I take preserving their anonymity very seriously. The only family portraits I will ever share on my social media will be from families that expressly want to share their experience beyond their own social media. I will however share all kinds of photos of the journey including behind the scenes images to give a feel for the kind of environments I am working in. I will extensively share my experience in the journey, but never at the expense of my clients.

Please let me know what you think.

¡Gracias!

Rich

Lots of Jackdaw history to discover on my Facebook fanpage!

https://www.facebook.com/familianomad/

I started out Jackdaw's web presence via a Facebook fan page almost two years ago. If you'd like to see a lot of history regarding the resurrection of Hella and the evolution of this outreach, click the link above and check it out!

Namaste,

Rich

I'm a Brene Brown fan

I have long been inspired by Brene Brown's work. This one especially speaks to me. I wish you all an inspired Wednesday!

Sincerely,

Rich

Jackdaw blog post Numero Uno!

My first post on the Jackdaw blog! Going forward this will be the first place I post Jackdaw news and stuff. Thank you all for keeping track of me!

By the way, the blog background image was shot by my daughter, Aja Villacres. Check out her work at www.ajavillacresphotography.com 

Later!

Rich