Volunteer Info

Are you looking for a way to give back to your community? Are you willing to donate your time & talent to give the ultimate gift of memories to new adoptive families? Do you want to promote adoption within your community? Has adoption personally touched you?

Red Thread Sessions is currently looking for participating portrait photographers across the U.S. More professional portrait photographers are needed in every state to make Red Thread Sessions as successful as possible. There are several types of Red Thread Sessions available to volunteer for. Professional portrait photographers may volunteer for one, some, or all types of sessions, depending on their personal skill set, comfort level and time available to donate. The three types of Red Thread Sessions that are offered are:

  1. a family portrait session within the first 3 months of a finalized adoption to capture family portraits of the new family,
  2. a homecoming session where the volunteering photographer meets the adoptive family at the airport upon arrival home to capture the first moments with their family
  3. a birth photography session to capture the birth of the adoptive child in an open adoption.

The following is required from participating professional photographers:

  1. You must agree to donate your time and talent for photography sessions to adoptive families, when you are available. You may limit the number of sessions you accept each year. You must agree to volunteer for at least one type of Red Thread Session and provide at least one session per year, if requested, to remain active.
  2. You must be willing to waive your session fee and offer a set of proofs to the adoptive family within 4 weeks of your session. Proofs may be digital or printed and the size & quantity is left to your discretion. You may set your own policies, including print & product pricing, travel fees and additional subject fees. It is also left to your discretion to offer a discounted print & product price list for participating adoptive families.
  3. You must require and keep on file a model release provided by Red Thread Sessions for each session you offer.
  4. You must indicate to Red Thread Sessions which sessions you are interested in donating so that the information may be denoted on the participating photographers list.
  5. Although it is understood that photographers are graciously volunteering their time, you must agree to maintain a level of professionalism when working with adoptive families, especially because in some situations, there will only be one chance to capture these memories.
  6. It is required that participating photographers respond to all Red Thread Session inquires from adoptive families within 48 hours of contact so that a level of professional quality may be maintained.
  7. If you can no longer participate in Red Thread Sessions, you must alert Red Thread Sessions immediately and remove your listing from our database.
  8. You agree to display a Red Thread Sessions button on your website or blog to show your affiliation with the organization.
  9. Although not required, Red Thread Sessions will take submissions of your best images taken at Red Thread Sessions for publication on the website. Because Red Thread Sessions maintains a blogsite, new material is always needed to keep the blog updated and current. Submissions are welcomed from all types of Red Thread Sessions. Submitted images must be watermarked for your protection. An abbreviated story about the adoptive family will also be required. Names and locations of adoptive families will never be published, but a link to your professional website will be included. A model release will be made available to participating photographers for these submissions. Red Thread Sessions will determine when submissions will be published and reserves the right to not publish submissions.

The following requirements must be met in full to be considered for a Red Thread Sessions participating photographer. Please read carefully prior to applying:

  1. You must submit an application giving all necessary information.
  2. Your must own an active portrait photography business, and your business must reside in the United States at this time.
  3. You must have a professional online presence that is a website with a portfolio that is at least one year old and has been active for that year. The domain name must be registered for at least one year to be considered active. Social Networks like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc. are not websites or portfolios and will not be used as consideration for inclusion in Red Thread Sessions. Likewise, family blogs and website created through free hosting sites will also not be considered as a professional online presence.
  4. You must own your own domain name. Your website must be unbranded – no logos from your hosting company.
  5. Your website must be easy to navigate  and complete. Your website must not be under construction or in transition.
  6. Additionally, our photographers must keep (but will not be required to list in the directory) either a blog or Facebook page with recent work to show that their business is current and active. This may be used to determine your current professional activity and skill level.
  7. Your portfolio, blog and Facebook page (where applicable) must demonstrate that you have proficient technical skills, an ability to use lighting effectively, and a consistent artistic vision. Likewise your online works should demonstrate experience working with families and children in multiple locations and lighting situations.  Your work should display experience in the type of session you are volunteering to provide. Photographers who do not have online work that meet these criteria will not be considered for inclusion as a Red Thread Sessions volunteer photographer.
  8. You must function as a legally registered, tax-paying portrait photography business with a willingness to provide your TID upon request.

Due to the overwhelming number of applications received and out of fairness and consideration to all applicants, all criteria must be met without exception in order to be accepted as a RTS Volunteer Photographer.