NEW ORLEANS — COVID-19 has had an impact on a lot of people, especially in New Orleans. However, a nationwide initiative is looking to help those out of work, one photo at a time.
The pandemic has thrown a curve-ball to a countless number of people, especially those who've lost work or seen less work because of it.
"I work in the entertainment business, so I use headshots all the time," said Aurielle Brimmer. "So I thought this was a great way to add some more pictures to my profile because work is about to pick up."
Noel Marcantel though wanted to give them a reason to smile again, which is why his crew is partaking in the '10,000 Head Shots Movement.'
"We want to get them a head start," he said. "A headshot for a head start in their job search."
About 200 photographers nationwide are participating in the initiative, which gives free headshots to those who are on the job hunt.
"99% of people get in front of the camera and say they hate taking pictures or they're not photogenic," Marcantel said. "And I love to prove them wrong."
In New Orleans, Marcantel photographed about 50 people, each with their own story.
"So one of the things everyone needs is a great headshot, and there's a lot of people who can't quite afford that," he said. "We don't want to make them choose between that and something else and we want to be able to give them that opportunity to look like a total contender."
For Aurielle Brimmer, it was a day well spent.
"It was super fun, everyone was very nice," she said. "And I had an awesome experience, it's really going to help out a lot of residents in the city."
The pandemic may have knocked a lot of people down, however, each picture taken is helping them focus on their comeback. And that's something to smile about.
"It's a community effort and we've come together and we've done nothing but encourage each other and we're better for it," said Marcantel.
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