For years, I was able to keep my professional life, and personal life, separate.
I’ve been truly blessed in my career. I’ve shot ad campaigns and magazine work for Rolling Stone, Billboard, Converse, and MTV, and I’ve photographed people like Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys, John Legend, President Obama, Chelsea Clinton, President Clinton, Ludacris, Usher, One Direction, New Kids on the Block, Hanson, Billy Corgan, and Elvis Costello, among many others.
What many of my friends and clients didn’t know until a few years ago, is that while I was posting photos of my ad campaigns in Times Square, and pictures backstage with some of my favorite artists, I was balancing my life as a photographer with being a daughter to a mom living with Young-onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD).
In 2015, my husband Matt Workman and I decided to leave our lives in New York City and move home to Boston to be there for my mom. I am so grateful that I’ve been able to relaunch my career in Massachusetts, shooting frequently for The Boston Globe Magazine, Boston Magazine, The Clinton Foundation, Harvard, and MIT among others.
Being witness to my mom’s everyday fight to be able to function inspired me to try to find a way to use my work as a photographer to raise money for research. That’s how Photo Shoot for a Cure was born. I learned to open up with my friends, clients, and network about our family’s story and I found that by talking openly about my mom’s Parkinson’s, I was able to connect with so many other incredible people going through the same journey.
Photo Shoot for a Cure is an annual photography-inspired cocktail party bringing together photographers, stylists, individuals, and businesses from all around New England. To date, we have raised over $45,000 for The Michael J. Fox Foundation and have set an ambitious goal to top $100,000 in 2018.
Our next event takes place Saturday, September 22, 2018 from 6 to 10pm at District Hall in Boston. The party features multiple photo shoot booths — our guests pop in for portraits with friends and family, headshots, press photos, fashion/style photos and more! In total, 22 photographers and filmmakers volunteer their time by shooting portraits, doing event coverage, and by donating their photos to the Following//Boston pop up gallery sponsored by Big Picture Framing.
The cause is personal to me — and to many of our volunteers as well. Eight of our photographers and filmmakers volunteer in support of, or in memory of, a family member with Parkinson’s. Our event is run by a host committee of 35 volunteers, all of whom have a connection to Parkinson’s in their family or group of friends.
The party features makeovers by Sephora Prudential Center, James Joseph Salon, Polished Nail Boutique, and Blo Blow Dry Bar Seaport. And when guests need a break from the spotlight, they can peruse our silent auction, featuring items from Sonos, Paul C. Buff lighting, The Red Sox, and more. The evening also features an art showcase from Smile Through Art, speeches from people on the front-lines of Parkinson’s research, appetizers from The Briar Group, and a cash bar.
Tickets will available June 2018. If you’d like to join us on September 22nd, please visit photoshootforacure.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter to be alerted when tickets are for sale!
If you’d like to support our mission to speed a cure for Parkinson’s disease, please consider making a donation to our team here. The Michael J. Fox Foundation has funded over $800 million in global research since it’s launch in 2000, and 100% of donations made to Team Fox go directly to research.
Our 2018 sponsors include: Voyager Therapeutics, Boston Magazine, District Hall, Acorda Therapeutics, Lundbeck, Hunt’s Photo & Video, among more. AdoramaPix will be supporting Photo Shoot for a Cure for the third year in a row, as our printing sponsor. We’re accepting more sponsors, as well as attendees!
Opening up about my mom’s life with Parkinson’s isn’t always easy — but when I see how strong she is in the face of her challenges, I am inspired to continue to grow our series to make the biggest impact I can for The Michael J. Fox Foundation.
