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Adele’s photographer saves school photo day at struggling school

Dec 20, 2022 by Alex Baker 2 Comments

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Not all heroes wear capes, goes the saying. And this heartwarming story just goes to show that there are still many, many good generous people out there in the world who want to give back and make a difference.

Music and celebrity photographer Raven B. Varona answered the plea to help out a New York City school that couldn’t afford to go ahead with their annual school photos because of a lack of funds.

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A post shared by Raven B. Varona (@ravieb)

Varona has photographed stars such as Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Adele. She has spent the past seven years shooting professionally and mentioned on her Instagram feed that she “still enjoyed doing small jobs” and still feels as though she is “scratching the surface” and “learning something new with each job.”

A mutual friend with children at the school reached out to Varona, asking if she might be able to help. The Public School 25 in Brooklyn is a Title One school. This means that at least 40% of the pupils qualify for free lunches and come from low-income households.

The school was about to cancel the school photos when Varona agreed to help. The photographer told PBS that it reminded her that professional photography was a luxury that isn’t afforded to everyone. However, capturing these memories is a privilege. Varona herself went to a Title One school, and there were some years that she missed out on keeping the school photos because her family couldn’t afford them.

The photographer has since set up a non-profit, the Best Side Foundation so that other Title One schools and their families can benefit from the initiative and enjoy recording the memories of their children growing up.

As a parent, I understand just how expensive these little extras can be. School photos, school trips, uniforms… You don’t want your child to miss out, but the reality of today is that in many so-called rich countries, children are going without heating and regular meals.

Varona has collaborated with Canon to offset printing costs so that all families can savor the memory of their children growing over the years.

It’s these seemingly small things that really help to make a difference. They may seem inconsequential, but you never know how far kindnesses such as these reach. Perhaps there’s a grandparent across the country that doesn’t get to see their grandchildren and would love a photo, or a child with an illness that may not be lucky enough to reach adulthood. The power of photography really can reach far and wide.

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Related posts:

Adele stops concert to call out a filming fan, telling her “take your tripod down” Photographer saves the day for unknown couple when their photographer forgets her DSLR battery Photographer saves boxer from head injury after being knocked out of the ring Photographer throws an epic photo shoot for an 8-year-old girl who was denied school photos

Filed Under: news Tagged With: Best Side Foundation, charity, Ravi B, school pictures

About Alex Baker

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

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Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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